Jewish Family Services’ 2019 Heart & Soul Gala
Gala chairs are (left to right) Erin Combs, Scott Schindler and Jamie Carr.
Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) will host its annual Heart & Soul Gala at 6 p.m., Saturday, April 6 at the Hyatt Regency La Jolla at Aventine. At its signature benefit gala, JFS will share stories and successes from throughout the year, highlighting the nonprofit’s work to provide resources and support to more than 20,000 San Diegans of all ages, faiths and backgrounds. The event will also celebrate the contributions of its 2019 Mitzvah Honorees: Ilene Mittman and Aviva Saad, and ACLU of San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Ilene Mittman and Aviva Saad are being celebrated for their inspiring work and dedication at JFS’s Balboa Avenue Older Adult Center, which provides a safe, uplifting environment for individuals and families impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. Ilene has been a volunteer at the center for the last 10 years, and a true champion of JFS, encouraging countless friends, family members and acquaintances to get involved. Humble, dedicated, and compassionate, Ilene is the heart of the center on any day she comes to volunteer.
Aviva became program coordinator at the Balboa Avenue Older Adult Center in 2008. Where many senior-focused day programs struggle to find a place for those impacted by the disease, Aviva has created a schedule designed specifically to meet their needs. With remarkable energy and drive, she has led the center’s efforts to expand dementia-friendly programming and create a culture of care for participants, family members and caregivers alike.
The American Civil Liberties Union of San Diego and Imperial Counties (ACLU) is a prominent force for the protection and expansion of fundamental rights in California’s second largest county and southern borderlands. In late October 2018, when federal immigration authorities began releasing dozens of asylum-seeking families onto San Diego streets without warning and without food, clothing, transportation or shelter, SDRRN mobilized to provide emergency shelter and humanitarian aid to more than 5,900 asylum-seeking migrants released by the federal government into this region. Together, ACLU, JFS and the rest of the SDRRN has worked to ensure that “no one stands alone in our community.”
Partnering with Honorary Chairs Evelyn and Ernest Rady, Gala Chairs Jamie Carr, Erin Combs Pearl and Scott Schindler will host an evening of dinner, dancing and a silent auction to encourage awareness and philanthropy throughout the year.
For information, visit www.jfssd.org/gala or call (858) 637-3013.
Category: Entertainment, Events, Local News
