Annual Report Digital - Flipbook - Page 6
The Annual Report 2023-2024 | OUR VOLUNTEERS
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
For nearly 30 years, Reenie and her family
have been rooted in our JCC community.
It started with her children, who attended
the Albert & Ann Deshur JCC Rainbow Day
Camp and the Steve & Shari Sadek Family
Camp Interlaken JCC, before Reenie became
involved with the Jewish Community Pantry
10 years ago. In 2015 she was asked to join
the JCC Board of Directors after volunteering
for the JCC Maccabi Games in Milwaukee.
Reenie Kavalar
Since then, Reenie has continued to make
a signi昀椀cant impact in our community
and beyond. She played a pivotal role in
welcoming two Afghan boys to JCC Rainbow
Day Camp as part of Congregation Emanu-El
B’ne Jeshurun’s Welcome Circle. The boys will
be returning for their third summer this year,
which speaks to the welcoming environment
Reenie helped create. She also helped
facilitate the construction of JCC Rainbow
Day Camp’s greenhouse, which allows
Bonim Farms Fellows to grow and harvest
year-round. This summer, Reenie is working
with volunteers to reinvigorate the garden at
the JCC White昀椀sh Bay campus with help from
the Salinsky Funds at Congregation EmanuEl B’ne Jeshurun.
The Harry & Rose Samson Family Jewish
Community Center is thrilled to present this
year’s Joe E. Smith Distinguished Volunteer
Award to Reenie Kavalar.
Reenie is a familiar face to many members
of our community, as her volunteer work
impacts multiple facets of our JCC. She
currently holds the position of Vice Chair
on the JCC Board of Directors and serves on
the Jewish Community Pantry Committee
and the PJ Library Milwaukee Endowment
Committee. However, the true testament
of Reenie’s commitment to volunteerism is
her leadership of the task force for the newly
established JCC Volunteer Hub, which aims
to recruit and retain volunteers for future
JCC programs and events.
Beyond the JCC, Reenie serves as Vice
President for Social Action on the
Congregation Emanu-El B’ne Jeshurun
Board. She also serves as the JCC Appointee
to the Jewish Community Relations Council,
frequently volunteers for Tikkun Ha-Ir,
and is a regular canvasser for Grass Roots
Glendale.
Re昀氀ecting on her volunteer journey and
all that she has impacted, Reenie shared,
“I enjoy making connections and then
pulling the threads of all the areas I’m
involved with together.” This philosophy is
evident in every project she undertakes,
seamlessly integrating various facets of her
work to create a cohesive and supportive
community.
We are deeply grateful for Reenie’s dedication, passion, and ability to foster
connections, and we look forward to seeing
the continued positive impact she will undoubtedly have on our community.
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