Charity emphasizes focus on diversity in adoption services

Four service pillars and one mission are the basic principles of the Jewish Family Service Agency, 4794 S. Eastern Ave. It's an organization that executive director Christina Primack attempts to bring to the forefront, even after decades of its existence in the valley.

"We were the best-kept secret for 30 years," Primack said. "We've become more progressive. We went through rebranding and restructuring, so we're able to communicate to the community about how we can help."

The nonsectarian agency focuses its efforts on adoption, counseling, emergency assistance and senior services. The Paradise-based facility houses a food pantry and offices for counseling, job search and adoption services. The agency plans to offer mobile mental health services and nighttime counseling sessions.

Primack said its Open Arms Adoption Agency is one of the nonprofit group's most vital aspects, uniting at least 150 families annually, regardless of religious affiliation, race or sexual orientation.

Open Arms is the focus of the agency's fifth annual Tzedakah Luncheon, slated for 11 a.m. Sunday at the Four Seasons , 3960 Las Vegas Blvd. South.

Ann Coleman, adoption coordinator, said Open Arms differs from other adoption agencies in the valley because of its diversity factor.

"We rebranded to let people know that we're a very diverse adoption agency," Coleman said. "The idea of family has changed. We are not just here for Jewish families. We're supportive with birth mothers and the different adoptive families."

Coleman said she establishes personal relationships with individuals on both ends of the adoptions, from being in the hospital with the birth mothers to facilitating dinner or lunch meetings between the families. Open Arms offers open and closed adoptions and ongoing counseling for birth mothers, but Coleman said the most rewarding experience is seeing the families' first reactions with the children.

"I just enjoy making the family happy," Coleman said. "A lot of these mothers have losses with miscarriages, and to see the joy on their faces is magical."

Though emergency financial and burial assistance is provided only to Jewish community members because of a grant, Primack said 88 percent of individuals who use the food pantry and 90 percent of those who adopt through the organization are non-Jewish.

"The impact for the non-Jewish community is good," Primack said. "The idea is to bring in more non-Jewish community members we can support. Our non-Jewish community is critical."

The agency has partnerships with Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada, Goodwill of Southern Nevada and Opportunity Village, among other organizations. Primack said the ability to establish partnerships and provide a variety of services to needy individuals has allowed the nonprofit group to grow so much that locations in Henderson and Summerlin are expected to open as early as within the next two months. Primack hopes to add three to four licensed counselors by the end of the year to facilitate possible night and weekend counseling sessions for teens and adults.

Primack said the growth of Jewish Family Service Agency and its focus on the four pillars of service describes its "Tikkun Olam" mission, which means "repairing the world" in Hebrew.

" Tikkun Olam is not necessarily a Jewish thing - it's a humanitarian thing," Primack said. "The idea is to make sure we're serving everyone. I think we're listening to the community's needs and really finding the niches of the community."

For more information on Jewish Family Service Agency programs and its Tzedakah Luncheon, call 732-0304 or visit jfsalv.org.

Contact Paradise/Downtown View reporter Lisa Carter at lcarter@viewnews.com or 383-4686.