PALs Spotlight

A Legacy Of Friendships

Ann Marie Quill

Ellen Moore, who founded the PAL program 24 years ago, is retiring from JF&CS.

As Ellen Moore gets ready to retire from her position as a clinical social worker at Jewish Family & Career Services, she looks back fondly at the agency and PAL, the program she founded there 24 years ago.

"I had been doing volunteer coordination for the agency, which was much smaller then, and started hearing from workers about single-parent families with children and how difficult life was for them," she says. "I started thinking that providing extra support for these children could be a wonderful thing. It started beautifully with a lot of support from the community. It brought the parents a sense of relief. And it has a wonderful Jewish component, which gives continuity to the families' religion and culture."

In these 24 years, the PAL program, which pairs children from single-parents families with a volunteer adult companion, has made some 300 matches. Jewish children between the ages of 6 and 15 can enter the program. The adult volunteers must be Jewish, at least 21 years old, pass a criminal background check, have no small children of their own, and be willing to spend at least two weekends a month with their young PAL.

According to Moore, these friendships can last a lifetime.

"Various times, even in the last year, I will meet someone in the hall who towers above me now, saying, ÔI think you matched me with my PAL about 20 years ago,' " she says. "It's heartwarming to see how these children turned into such wonderful people and are still in touch with their PALs. It's a big part of their lives."

Today, the PAL program is run by Erika Lang, who succeeded Moore four years ago when Moore stepped into her part-time counseling position.

"I'm delighted the program is in wonderful hands. It is such a viable part of the Jewish community. It was the highlight of my life to have been a part of the program," Moore says, adding that PAL's success can be attributed to JF&CS, the Jewish community, "the young people willing to give of themselves and the families who trusted me to be a part of their lives."

If you are interested in becoming a PAL or learning more about the program, contact Erika Lang at (770) 677-9310 or erikalang@jfcs-atlanta.org.