PALs Spotlight

PAL Ready For Next Year

Anat Granath, PAL program assistant, at last year's Havinagala at Mason Murer Fine Art.

Duane Stork Photography

As PAL looks to next year, one event that stands out is the 14th annual Havinagala.

This bash is for the public, with proceeds from ticket sales and a silent auction benefiting PAL, the Jewish Family & Career Services program that matches Jewish children from single-parent families with adult buddies.

Havinagala 2008 will be held at the View at King Plow on Saturday, April 5.

According to Erika Lang, who runs the PAL program, organizers are hoping to raise $50,000 again this year.

Lauren Feinberg, who is co-chairing the event with Andy Deutsch, says the location is particularly exciting this year.

"The View at King Plow is a really neat event venue in west midtown," she says. "It has a modern contemporary feel with a great view of downtown."

Feinberg says that money from the silent auction usually makes up about 30 percent of the event's proceeds. Items will range from restaurant gift certificates to weekend getaways.

Volunteers for PAL must be 21, Jewish, not have young children of their own, and commit to at least a year with two visits a month and a weekly phone call with their buddy. Volunteers also must pass a criminal background check. Jewish children ages 6 to 15 from single-parent families are accepted into the program, which has about 30 matches. With a waiting list of young boys, male volunteers are especially needed.

For more information about Havinagala, visit www.havinagala.com.

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.