JEWISH WOMEN’S FOUNDATION OF THE GREATER PALM BEACHES HIGHLIGHTS LOCAL IMPACT

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(WEST PALM BEACH, Fla.) On Tuesday, November 7, Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches (JWF) celebrated the start of the season by spotlighting the Foundation’s local efforts to improve the lives of women and girls by way of an impactful panel discussion. Taking place at Table 26 during the Foundation’s first trustee luncheon of the season, the panel was moderated by Tami Baldinger, JWF CEO, and included Julie Swindler, CEO of Families First of Palm Beach County; Michelle Gonzalez, CEO of Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition of Palm Beach County; Diana Stanley, CEO of The Lord’s Place, Inc.; Angela Clarke, Executive Director of PACE Center for Girls of Palm Beach County; and Beatrice Gonzalez, Director of Community Outreach, of Women of Tomorrow. All organizations are current grantee partners, who discussed the local impact of JWF’s funding and the great need to raise awareness and funding for issues impacting women and girls.

“Starting the season joined by like-minded, local female leaders was a perfect way to remind the community and our supporters why our work is so critical,” said Baldinger. “The panel discussion allowed us to reflect on our success and provided the affirmation that there is still much work to be done to remove the barriers to equality and justice. As we look ahead to the rest of the season, we are inspired by what we can accomplish and look forward to raising funds at our December luncheon, which will help us support even more women and girls.”

As part of its mission, JWF funds projects that have long-term effects for societal change on local, national and international levels. The grantee partners have received the following funding from JWF:

• Families First of PB County
Targeted Outreach of Pregnant Women
$20,000 per year for 2 years beginning in 2016; this is the second year of funding
The Targeted Outreach of Pregnant Women program works to prevent transmission of HIV/AIDS from mothers to newborns. Highly trained outreach workers look for at-risk pregnant women and teens, so they can provide education and medical treatment throughout their pregnancy, and the first 6 months after birth. To date, the program has a 100 percent success rate.

• Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition
Circle of Wellness – Maternal Mental Health Program
$20,000 per year for 2 years beginning in 2016; this is the second year of funding

The Circle of Wellness Maternal Mental Health project is a new program, created to support mothers suffering from mental health conditions that are highly treatable and often preventable. The program includes a structured care coordination model for clients with depression, perinatal therapy resources, perinatal therapy training to medical and mental health providers, as well as peer led support groups.

• The Lord’s Place, Inc.
The Gender Responsive Opportunities for Women (GROW) Initiative
$15,500 a year for 2 years
The Lord’s Place is a non-sectarian organization addressing homelessness in Palm Beach County. The GROW Initiative increases the integration of gender responsive tools, strategies and techniques into the nonprofit’s delivery model. The goal of this project is to enhance the provision of gender responsive services to women across all programs.

• PACE Center for Girls of Palm Beach County
PACEWorks
$22,000 per year for 2 years; this is the second year of funding
The PACEWorks Program increases the employability of at-risk and high-risk girls at PACE Center for Girls by providing them with the skills and experience for employment in non-traditional fields such as culinary arts, hospitality services, arts, zoological sciences and construction trades, as well as in more traditional fields of retail trades, child care/caregiver, fashion, food service and general office.

• Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program
General Support
$20,000 for one year
The Women of Tomorrow Mentor & Scholarship Program helps at-risk girls stay in school, improve academic performance, and gain practical skills that will help them succeed as students and adults. The program includes mentoring throughout the county’s low-income areas, including Title 1 high schools, as well as for disadvantaged girls attending high schools in the county’s affluent areas. Mentees are recruited into the program through school employees who serve as on-site Women of Tomorrow coordinators.

To keep supporting innovative approaches to gender inequality, JWF hosts an annual luncheon. Aptly named Imagine the Possibilities, the luncheon encourages guests to envision a world where women and children all over the globe can be safe and reach their full potential. It will be held at The Colony in Palm Beach on Wednesday, December 13, where supporters will toast to 15 years of improving the lives of women and children by the independent nonprofit. Funds raised are earmarked to support JWF’s grantmaking and advocacy. The event is chaired by Lisa Schneider, co-chaired by Richard Comiter and Beth Wayne, and will honor Sandra Krakoff. Guests will also hear from local grantee partners, in addition to students from JWF’s “No Small Change” program, and Sydell Miller, well-known philanthropist and advocate for women, who will speak in honor of Krakoff.

Jewish Women’s Foundation of the Greater Palm Beaches is a nonprofit grant making and advocacy organization established to improve the lives of women and girls. Guided by Jewish values, JWF advocates for advancing all women and girls, and funds projects that have long-term effects for societal change on local, national and international levels by placing an unwavering focus on the root cause of issues. An inclusive organization, JWF welcomes members of all beliefs and genders who believe that when women and girls are empowered, the entire community benefits.

To purchase tickets, or for more information about JWF, please call Miriam Laing at 561-275-2200 or email her at miriam@jwfpalmbeach.org. Tickets are $150 and sponsorships are still available. The Colony is located at 155 Hammon Ave, Palm Beach, FL 33480.

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