May 21, 2009 - ETP Network founder Rod Colon told a meeting of the Central New Jersey Networking Group that he sees membership in such a body as an opportunity for each person to find ways to help others — and to receive the help they need themselves. “There’s no limit to how far this can go,” he said.
At the May 12 meeting, there was more talk about exciting new possibilities than there were complaints about lost jobs, though many of the two dozen people there had felt that pain.
The meeting was held at the YM-YWHA of Union County under the auspices of the ETP Network with support from the Jewish Federation of Central New Jersey and the Union Y. It was hosted by Aaron Cohen, the leader of the Central NJ group, and his wife, Laura.
ETP — which stands for “empowering today’s professionals” — is a mutual help organization whose volunteer members teach networking and job search skills.
Janet Fleischer of Elizabeth, who has extensive experience handling medical records and billing in doctors’ offices, when asked if she could train others in medical billing, lit up. “I could go into a doctor’s office, watch what’s going on, and within a day or two I could show them how to get things working far better,” she said.
She, in turn, suggested that meeting participant Andree Laney of West Orange, an attorney who has worked in labor and employment law, could seek work helping doctors with compliance issues. Laney paused at that suggestion. “At first I wasn’t that receptive,” she said later, “but it’s the field my mother worked in. It could be really interesting.”
Together we can
Another meeting participant was Carol Einhorn, the social worker hired by Jewish Family Service of Central NJ, with a grant from the Central federation, to help people deal with the economic crisis through its Together We Can Community Economic Recovery Initiative.
Recognizing the degree of distress in the community — and despite across-the-board funding cutbacks — the federation committed $176,000 to the JFS economic recovery team. It has also promised to continue funding at that level for at least a second year.
Einhorn, together with the agency’s new vocational counselor, is offering — free of charge — vocational counseling, financial advice, and counseling to help people deal with the emotional issues related to financial stress and job loss.
The JFS/federation program is offering counseling at the JFS offices in Elizabeth, but also at synagogues and private venues across the area. Einhorn sent out an invitation to congregations, offering to conduct programs and offer appointments at their buildings and to work with volunteers from the community to counsel job seekers and provide financial advice.
Temple Emanu-El in Westfield was one of the first to respond, and she has been meeting with people there on a weekly basis.
Einhorn is planning to offer talks and workshops on a variety of subjects related to the economic situation. One of the first will be on dealing with the strain that financial stress places on a marriage. Another topic will be talking with children about changes in the family’s finances.
Contact info
For more information about Jewish Family Service of Central New Jersey counseling or to make an appointment with social worker Carol Einhorn, contact her at 908-352-8375, ext. 239, or ceinhorn@jfscentralnj.com.
For more information about the Central New Jersey Networking Group, contact Aaron Cohen at centralnjnetworkinggroup@gmail.com or visit www.etpnetwork.com.
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