- Press Releases
Hundreds of supporters are set to attend Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ 31st Annual Fammy Awards Gala, which will be held Sat. evening, Mar. 21, at San Francisco’s Ritz-Carlton Hotel. This year’s gala theme is “One World, One Family,” and JFCS will be honoring community leaders Lydia and Douglas Shorenstein of the Preisler Shorenstein Institute; employees of Cleanerific, JFCS’ innovative cleaning company; and Tamar Sofer-Geri, who formed a support network for parents whose children have juvenile diabetes.
About the Honorees:
Celebrating its 13th year, the Preisler Shorenstein Institute is pleased to support an important program of the JFCS Holocaust Center: its annual Day of Learning, which brings together hundreds of Northern California middle and high school students for an intensive day of study about the origins of the Holocaust and other instances of genocide. This year, the Day of Learning will take place at San Francisco’s Galileo High School on Sun., Mar. 8. “We are extraordinarily grateful to Lydia and Doug Shorenstein for their support of this critical program, which is making a huge and lasting impact on thousands of students in the Bay Area,” said Morgan Blum Schneider, the JFCS Holocaust Center’s Director of Education.
Cleanerific, a commercial and residential cleaning company, was started 10 years ago by JFCS as a social enterprise. In addition to providing first-rate service and relying solely on environmentally safe cleaning products, Cleanerific is committed to offering living wages and benefits to its employees, who are striving to build better lives for their families in the United States. “Just as my immigrant grandparents worked hard to make life better for their children, my employees are doing the same for future generations,” said Michael Berke, President of Cleanerific.
After her own daughter was diagnosed with diabetes, Tamar Sofer-Geri created a vibrant online educational network to support parents facing similar challenges. Working as a volunteer at JFCS’ family resource center, Parents Place, she has helped many parents seeking the best information and resources to help their children with juvenile diabetes. “Tamar Sofer-Geri has provided a vital service that offered critical assistance to parents in our region who are reaching out to our community for support,” said Gayle Zahler, LCSW, JFCS’ Associate Executive Director. “She reminds us of the Talmudic wisdom that if you save a single life, you save an entire world.”
The Fammy Awards Gala includes a cocktail reception, beginning at 6:30 pm, along with a silent auction, dinner and dancing, and an awards ceremony program highlighting the accomplishments of this year’s honorees. Gala Chairs are JFCS Board of Directors member David Dossetter and his wife, Susan. Regional Co-Chairs are Pamela Rose and Steven Dinkenspiel (San Francisco), Kathy Fields-Rayant and Garry Rayant (Marin County), Alison and Ken Ross (North Peninsula), Laura and Jeff Robbin (South Peninsula), Lisa and Noam Bardin (Peninsula Region), and Marsha and Don Jacobs (Sonoma County). Ann and Robert Schilling are Auction Co-Chairs; Sally and Jim Shapiro, Business Chairs.
For more information or reservations, contact Deborah Giattina at 415-449-1256,[email protected], or www.jfcs.org.
About Jewish Family and Children’s Services
For more than 160 years, Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma Counties has served the Bay Area’s children, families, and older adults. As the problem-solving center for our community, JFCS is the oldest and largest family services institution in the Western United States, serving more than 78,000 annually who are facing life transitions and personal crises. JFCS has earned a national reputation for offering the highest quality compassionate care. With more than 40 programs, JFCS is a leader in developing research-based social services and educational programs that strengthen individuals, strengthen families, and strengthen community. To learn more, visit www.jfcs.org.