September 21, 2011 / 7 – 9 p.m.
Support Services for Families and Children with Special Needs

The September 2011 Tikvah Talk program will be presented by Karen Berkman, Ph.D., executive director of the Center for Autism and Related Disabilities (CARD), and she will present an ‘Overview of Autism.’ Attendees will learn about the characteristics of individuals with Autism, current research and services offered by CARD. 

TIKVAH Talk will be held on Wednesday, September 21, 2011 from 7-9 p.m. at the Tampa Jewish Community Center.  A voluntary $5 donation is appreciated. For more information, please contact Lydia Abrams at lydiaa@tjfs.org, or call 813-960-1848. 

CE’s are available for LCSWs, MFTs, MHCs (2.0 CE’s for $10; BAP #1002 Exp. 3/2013).  Directions and other information are available at: www.tjfs.org.

August 29, 2011 / 7 – 9 p.m.
Support Services for Families and Children with Special Needs

Tikvah Talk is a monthly program that provides support services for families with children with special needs. The August program is presenting Ashley Vigil-Otero, Psy.D, Licensed Clinical Psychologist, who will speak on the topic Thinking Beyond IQ: Boosting Your Child’s Emotional Intelligence. Studies indicate that there are multiple factors beyond IQ that contribute to an individual’s personal success. These factors can include one’s emotional intelligence, or “EQ.” Dr. Vigil-Otero’s discussion will define emotional intelligence, discuss why EQ is important to a child’s effectiveness in life, and provide simple parenting strategies to maximize EQ and personal success.

Tikvah Talk will be held at the Tampa Jewish Community Center in Citrus Park at 13009 Community Campus Drive, Tampa, FL 33625.  The program is open to the public. A voluntary $5 donation is appreciated. For more information, please contact Lydia Abrams at lydiaa@tjfs.org, or call 813-960-1848.

CE’s are available for LCSWs, MFTs, MHCs (2.0 CE’s for $10; BAP #1002 Exp. 3/2013).  Directions and other information are available at: www.tjfs.org.

July 25, 2011 / 7 – 9 p.m.
Support Services for Families and Children with Special Needs

This month’s TIKVAH Talk  focuses on the topic of Autism. The program will be presented by Ann Millan, author, advocate, and mother of Robin Millan, an independent adult diagnosed with Autism.  Together, they will present a program entitled Autism: Believe in the Future, From Infancy to Independence. 

Robin Millan has been diagnosed as classic Autism with visual and intellectual disabilities.  She is 40 years old, has two jobs, a busy social life, lives in her own condo, and drives her own car. She and her mother will share the story of Robin’s development from infancy to independence. They will detail how therapies, education, and socialization worked for Robin, as well as how they tackled adulthood, and survived as a family.  

TIKVAH Talk will be held on Monday, July 25, 2011 from 7 – 9 p.m. at the Tampa Jewish Community Center.  TIKVAH Talk is open to the community. A voluntary $5 donation is appreciated. For more information about TIKVAH Talk, please contact Lydia Abrams at lydiaa@tjfs.org, or 813-960-1848.

CE’s are available for LCSWs, MFTs, MHCs (2.0 CE’s for $10; BAP #1002 Exp. 3/2013).  Directions and other information are available at: www.tjfs.org.

Tampa Jewish Family Services has officially expanded its food bank distribution and counseling services into the Brandon area. Food distribution is being offered once a month at Congregation Beth Shalom, 706 Bryan Road, Brandon, FL.  For months August – October 2011, food bank distribution will take place August 18, September 15, and October 6. Emergency food bank distribution is available each weekday.

Counseling services are provided by a master of social work at the offices of Pathways Counseling Center, 108 Mason Street, Brandon, FL.  Brandon services are available to residents of New Tampa and all of eastern Hillsborough County.  For more information or to schedule appointments, please call (813) 960-1848.

 TJFS Annual Gift Drive - December, 2010

We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who participated in our 2010 Annual Gift Drive. This drive has been an annual event that’s taken place for over a decade. Thanks to our donor’s generosity, we were able to serve more than 150 households in the Tampa Bay community who were in desperate need of very basic neccesities (i.e., pillows, clothes, shoes).

Donated presents at the TJFS Holiday Gift Drive for families in need

On December 2nd, Tampa Jewish Family Services’ own Lea Merrill Davidson-Bern was on Positively Tampa Bay – a program on ABC Action News – that showcases the efforts of organizations making a difference in our community. Check out the YouTube video below!