COMMUNITY NEWS
The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia mobilizes
financial and volunteer resources to address the
communities’ most critical priorities locally, in Israel and
around the world.

A Little Black Box That Fights Loneliness
WHILE THE PANDEMIC has brought it
into sharper focus, loneliness and social isola-
tion have long been major issues facing older
adults. The CDC estimates that one-quarter of
American seniors are socially isolated, putting
them at a higher risk of everything from
anxiety and depression to premature death.

At the Jewish Federation-supported Jewish
Family and Children’s Service, they’re all too
aware of the “loneliness epidemic” facing their
seniors and the barriers that keep people from
accessing social connections.

“We do a lot of programming for seniors
at the Brodsky Center in Bala Cynwyd,” said
Paul Groch, JFCS’ vice president of operations.

“But with an older population, not everyone
can travel easily. We were actually looking for a solution to help connect people
even before the pandemic started.”
For Groch’s team, the solution came from an Israeli startup called Uniper,
which uses technology to help seniors maintain an active social life from the
comfort of their homes.

Uniper provides a small device — similar to a Roku or an Apple TV — that
connects to both on-demand programming (concerts, ballets, news, Russian-
language material) and live events like classes or social groups.

“It’s a simple box and a simple remote,” Groch said. “You can’t get lost. It’s a
simple solution for folks that aren’t used to using technology.”
JFCS’ Bala Cynwyd headquarters now has a broadcasting center where
it livecasts events to Uniper. Since the live events are with people in the
Philadelphia region, the seniors have the opportunity to see familiar faces. It’s
this type of casual interaction — a conversation with our barista, a chat with
coworkers — that we take for granted, but are
extremely meaningful for those in isolation.

“They can see each other and be seen
themselves. They take an active role in the
programming instead of passively receiving
the information,” Groch said.

When COVID-19 hit, Uniper access became
more critical. Since Uniper’s programming can
also be accessed from a web browser, Groch and
his team distributed Chromebooks to seniors,
along with detailed instructions about how to
set them up. Later, they also sent wireless mice
after realizing that many of the older adults
struggled with the laptops’ trackpads.

“Again, the emphasis has to be on simple,”
Groch said. “This is a population that is not
used to computers.”
Since introducing Uniper, JFCS has found significant improvements in partic-
ipants’ mental health. Seventy-five percent of Uniper participants improved or
maintained their anxiety score, and 92% improved or maintained their depres-
sion score. Most impressively, JFCS found that 75% of Uniper users showed
overall improvement across all the measured categories, compared to only 25%
of those who did not use Uniper.

While Groch says they have a long way to go — the number of Philadelphia
seniors who don’t have internet access at all “keeps him up at night” — he’s
proud of what JFCS has achieved.

“It’s really fortuitous that we already had so much of this in place,” he said. “It
made a big difference over the past few months.”
Gifts to the Jewish Federation support JFCS programs like this one. Donate
today at jewishphilly.org/donate and make the world a little less lonely!
Stefanamer/Getty Images
Pandemic Prompts Food Aid Revamp
EVERY FALL, the Women’s Philanthropy affinity group at the Jewish
Federation of Greater Philadelphia leads the sorting of canned and dry goods
donated through the High Holiday Food Drive.

Due to the pandemic, the sort was unable to take place, but Women’s
Philanthropy Chair Julie Savitch was still determined to support those in our
community who struggle with food insecurity.

“I’m always looking for what I can do to help others,” Savitch said. “Especially
now, when people really need it.”
At past food sorts, volunteers were encouraged to buy gift cards at local
supermarkets. But because people didn’t always remember to pick them up,
Savitch began buying them herself, allowing people who wished to donate the
cards to get them directly from her.

Building upon the idea during the pandemic, Savitch used her platform as
Women’s Philanthropy board chair to share the opportunity with more people
who wanted to help. Every Zoom meeting she’s been in — and there have been
many — she has used as an opportunity to advertise her service.

“It was a wonderful way for people to easily make a big impact,” she said. “I
JEWISHEXPONENT.COM would put the link in the Zoom chat, and people would Venmo me throughout
the meeting. The need for help purchasing groceries is greater than it ever has
been before, which spoke to many people.”
More than 50 people have bought grocery gift cards through Savitch, totaling
more than $3,000, with cards dispersed through the Jewish Federation’s
Mitzvah food program. Many of the cards assisted local community members
in buying food for the Thanksgiving holiday, and more will be sent to those
planning their December holiday celebrations.

Savitch attributes her drive to move this project forward to a constant desire
to be always doing something to help others.

“I’m a mitzvah person,” she said. “Leading up to my 50th birthday, I did
one mitzvah a week. It became something of a habit for me. It’s in my DNA to
always want to be doing something to help others.”
Savitch shares her work on her Instagram account: @Mitzvah_Monday. For
anyone who wishes to assist her project, you can email her at jksavitch@yahoo.com.

To make a donation to the Jewish Federation’s Mitzvah Food Program, visit
jewishphilly.org/resources/mitzvah-food-program. JEWISH EXPONENT
DECEMBER 3, 2020
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