New Jewish COMMUNITY CAREER SERVICES program LAUNCHES to help job seekers and employers impacted by covid-19
Program will provide critical employment support, resources, more for the Jewish community
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (August 5, 2020) – A new program designed to provide the unemployed and underemployed with the resources necessary to be successful in the workforce – particularly amidst unprecedented economic uncertainty with rising layoffs – has been launched by Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service of Palm Beach County. Called Jewish Community Career Services, the program will provide job seekers with meaningful support and resources, and will serve as an employment resource for local businesses and nonprofits. The program is funded by Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County through a grant from its J-Help Coronavirus Emergency Response Fund, a critical fundraising effort in response to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and economic crisis. Federation provides financial support to its partners who are serving the community’s urgent needs, and with nearly 120,000 people unemployed in Palm Beach County, employment services are vitally important.
Program services for job seekers include: one-on-one career coaching; workshops on personal brand, resume writing and interview skills; classes on LinkedIn and financial literacy; assistance applying for unemployment benefits and other financial resources; job group meetings for those unemployed;- the future use of a pop-up career closet to obtain professional attire; and mentorship matching with professionals in the community. Services for participating businesses include: personalized staffing support; access to a pre-screened job seeker pool and retention services.
The timely new initiative will be led by Whitney Cherner, who most recently served as Senior Director of the Mandel Institute for Leadership Development at the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. Cherner previously served as Vice President of Career & Employment Services at Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services in Boca Raton, where she created and implemented a similar program. She oversaw all aspects of the program, including working with clients, business development, managing the operating budget and marketing. Cherner, who is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Florida Atlantic University, has assisted nearly 500 candidates with new positions ranging from entry-level to upper management.
“With such immense need right now for employment services, we are incredibly proud that we can launch this program, particularly with Whitney Cherner’s expertise. We are well-positioned to provide the growing number of unemployed and underemployed community members with the skills, coaching and support to help them as they look forward in their professional career,” said Marc Hopin, CEO of Ferd & Gladys Alpert Jewish Family Service of Palm Beach County (JFS). JFS is a 45-year old nonprofit dedicated to providing a wide range of social services to strengthen individuals and families, including counseling, psychiatry and case management, as well as providing aid for community needs.
Palm Beach County is home to over 78,000 Jewish households. Results from an expansive 2018 Community Study led by Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County demonstrated a critical need for services, even before the onset of the pandemic. Results showed 20 percent of the Jewish community described themselves as just getting along, nearly poor or poor; 38 percent of Jewish households are not confident in their ability to live comfortably during retirement; and 12,000 households rely on a social service benefit, such as food stamps or Medicaid.
“The search for a new job can be challenging and complicated, particularly as there have been considerable changes for many due to COVID-19, so our work each day has focused on solutions for the most urgent needs in our community,” shared Michael Hoffman, president and CEO of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County. “We are proud to support this employment program provided by JFS, and grateful for the incredible support of generous people in our community who contributed to our J-Help campaign.”
Federation’s J-Help initiative was co-chaired by community leaders Sandy Baklor and Carole Solomon. Rosalee and Richard Davison, Arlene Kaufman, Jack, Joseph and Morton Mandel Foundation, Stacy and Keith Palagye Fund and Windreich Family Foundation were other leading philanthropists among the 150 donors to the fund.
For more information or to apply to the program, individuals and businesses can contact Whitney Cherner at whitney.cherner@alpertjfs.org.
For more information about all community services available throughout the Palm Beaches during Coronavirus, visit https://jewishpalmbeach.org/coronavirus/.
For more information about Alpert Jewish Family Service, visit https://www.alpertjfs.org/. For more information about Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, visit jewishpalmbeach.org.
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Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County works to transform, inspire and save lives in the Palm Beaches, Israel and 70 countries around the world.