PALs Spotlight

A PAL Mom's Perspective

Lori Goldstein thought that her 11-year-old son, Ethan, could benefit from PAL, the Jewish Family & Career Services program that matches children from single-parent families with older buddies. She tells Julep a little about her experience with the program, which she says has helped both her and her son, who has participated in the program since October.

How did you find out about PAL?

I found out about PAL from the brochure of JF&CS. My cousin noticed it, and because I'm a single parent, she thought it was something that my son could benefit from. I decided to participate because, considering my circumstances, my son could benefit from a program like this.

What does Ethan do with his buddy?

My son and his PAL do a variety of things together. They do sports activities, museums (Fernbank); they've done table tennis, etc. Ethan's PAL chaperoned him at a youth group event that I could not attend, and most recently his PAL joined us for a fifth-grade Shabbat service at Congregation Dor Tamid.

Describe their relationship.

I think the relationship is wonderful between the two guys. Neither of them really talk to me about it, so I just assume that it's good quality time. David is very devoted to this responsibility and makes sure to call/contact Ethan on a regular basis.

What benefits have you seen from the program?

There are a lot of benefits from the program, the most beneficial I think is simply "guy time." My son has always appreciated being around men. The time he spends with his PAL is good because it gives us a break from one another; it affords me "me time." I know that Ethan's PAL wants to introduce more cultural things to Ethan, and in time I believe that they will accomplish that goal.

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.