Hanukkah Holiday Project Needs Volunteers To Make Festival Bright 

Through Jewish Family Services' annual Hanukkah Holiday Project, more than 300 individuals will receive gifts and gift cards during the Festival of Lights. This year Hanukkah begins at sundown Sunday, Dec. 22.

Those who adopted families should drop off their gift purchases the week of Dec. 2-5 at JFS offices at the Jewish Community Campus. Gift cards and financial donations may also be mailed to 5801 W. 115th St., Suite 103, Overland Park, KS 66211 with "Attention: Hanukkah Project" on the envelope.

The Hanukkah Wrapping Party will be held Thursday evening, Dec. 12, 5:30-7 p.m. at the Jewish Community Campus. It's a perfect time for families to lend a hand. If you would like to volunteer, please email volunteer@jfskc.org or visit www.jfskc.org for links to sign up.

Link: https://www.jfskc.org/services/volunteer/hanukkah-adopt-a-family/

PRIYA HOSTS DEC. 3 SUPPORT MEETING FOR THOSE FACING INFERTILITY

Bloom - a support group of the Priya program - will hold its quarterly support meeting on Dec. 3, 6:30-8 p.m. at the Jewish Community Campus. Priya supports Jewish families on their fertility and adoption journeys. Spouses & partners welcome. Open to all religious and spiritual backgrounds. For more information, please call Porsche Elkins, Priya Family Consultant, at (913) 730-1474 or email pelkins@jfskc.org.

LINK: https://www.jfskc.org/priya-support/

JFS JEWISH GRIEF SUPPORT GROUP RESUMES IN DECEMBER

Jewish Family Services is once again offering its Grief and Loss Support Group beginning in December. The group meets the first and third Wednesday of each month at 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Jewish Community Campus starting with Dec. 4 and Dec. 18. The group, which is free, provides the opportunity to address issues of loss and grief within a Jewish spiritual context, in a warm and confidential environment. The Rabbinical Association of Greater Kansas City also sponsors the group and it is the only Jewish-based grief support group in the area.

The group is co-facilitated by Rabbi Mark Levin and JFS Therapist Lauren Glass, LCSW. The support group is for individuals dealing with grief and loss of a loved one. It is open to all faith backgrounds.

While there is no charge to attend the support group, those wishing to participate (or who would like additional information) may contact Molly McGurk, JFS Director of Mental Health Services, at (913) 327-8298 or via email at mmcgurk@jfskc.org.

SERVICE OF SPIRITUAL RENEWAL SET FOR DEC. 12

The Jewish Chaplaincy program, under the auspices of Jewish Family Services, will host a Service of Spiritual Renewal for Hanukkah on Thursday, Dec.12, in the Village Shalom Social Hall, 5500 W. 123rd St., in Overland Park.

Join us for this expressive and supportive gathering as we share traditional and contemporary prayers, songs, and readings, which include personal reflections with individuals looking for warmth and light. This Service of Spiritual Renewal will focus on the miraculous power of hope and the need for all of us to feel some light in times of darkness.

Jewish Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick, Michelle Cox, music director/B'nai Mitzvah coordinator at The Temple, Congregation B'nai Jehudah and Lezlie Zucker, music coordinator for Congregation Beth Torah, will facilitate this service.

A light nosh will precede the service at 6 p.m. and the program will begin at 6:30 p.m. Sweets will be served following the service.

POOCH PALOOZA FASHION SHOW DEC. 17 TO COLLECT ITEMS FOR JASMINE'S CORNER

Dogs are man (and woman's) best friends! Now some furry friends will be gathering for a good cause - Jasmine's Pet Food Pantry, part of Jewish Family Services' Food Pantry!

On Tuesday evening, Dec. 17, come for the fun as "celebrity" pups strut their stuff with their owners in the first ever Pooch Palooza Fashion Show. Produced by the Jewish Community Center, Pooch Palooza will include canines strutting down the "cat" walk while the audience enjoys refreshments and bar (k) snacks. Cost to attend this "adults only" evening is $12 PLUS two pet food items for JFS' Jasmine's Corner.

Jasmine's Corner was opened so pet owners don't have to forgo eating themselves in order to keep their beloved pets fed. Last year 1,275 pets received food from the pantry.

For more information or to purchase tickets, please contact Jill Maidhof, The J's Director of Jewish Experiences, at (913) 327-8077 or email jillm@thejkc.org.

LEARN LAUGH & LOVE 2020 PROGRAMS

The Learn, Laugh and Love program series continues to bring programs that educate and encourage us to take an active role to enhance our quality of life.

On Jan.16, the Learn, Laugh and Love focuses on spiritual wellness. Join Jewish Community Chaplain Rabbi Jonathan Rudnick in an interactive session exploring new habits and practices that can enhance your spiritual wellness. The one-hour program begins at 1 p.m. in the MAC Room at the Jewish Community Campus.

In February, Learn Laugh and Love will offer a three-part series, "From Colony to State: A Military History of the Birth of the State of Israel" facilitated by Jacob Stoil, assistant professor of advanced military studies at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. The series will be held on Feb. 27, March 26 and April 23.

All Learn Laugh & Love programs are free but reservations are requested by calling The Heritage Center reception desk at (913) 327-8044.

TEEN DRIVING PROGRAM OFFERED IN JANUARY

Statistics indicate that a teen's risk of being in a car accident is at its highest within the first 12 to 24 months of driving. You can help fight those odds by attending the Driving Risk Awareness for Teens and Parents" program, put on by the C.H.A.I. program of Jewish Family Services. This free workshop, which is open to ninth and 10th grade students and their parents, takes place Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020, from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the Jewish Community Campus, Conference Room C, 5801 W. 115th St. Overland Park, KS.

Susie Hurst, Adolescent Specialist at Jewish Family Services, facilitates the workshop. While the Driving Risk Awareness workshop is free, reservations are required. To make a reservation, please contact Hurst at (913) 327-8259 or email her at Susieh@jfskc.org.

KESHER KC BAGS ARE AVAILABLE HELPING THOSE IN NEED

Kesher KC Care Bags are an extension of the food pantry program at Jewish Family Services. Kesher KC Care Bags are available for purchase so people can assist others they encounter who may be experiencing homelessness and/or need a meal. Each bag contains food for a day that is relatively easy to heat, serve, and eat as well as a guide to local community resources that provide hot meals and other services.

Keep Kesher KC Care Bags in your car or take them with you on foot to give out whenever the opportunity arises. Giving a Care Bag is an opportunity to provide food for another person who is struggling while treating him or her with dignity and respect.

Kesher KC Care Bags are available for $20 for three bags and may be purchased online through the JFS web site.

LINK: https://www.jfskc.org/kesher-kc-care-bags/