JEVS is about hope/University of Huddersfield

It’s her enthusiasm and energy that are so striking. Catherine Billups, 42, may have some physical challenges, but they haven’t touched her spirit.

“I love my life!” she says. “I just feel so blessed.”

She doesn’t have time to be overly concerned about those who would lament being born with Spinal Muscular Atrophy, which can have devastating effects on the body’s muscles.

“I concentrate on what I can do, not what I can’t,” insists this lively mother of two daughters.

By the time she was 3 years old, Billups’ mother, who was running a household with six lively kids, noticed that something was amiss with Catherine, her oldest. After running tests that never seemed to end and long, grueling hospitalizations, the diagnosis of SMA came about.

“Until I was 14, I was pretty ambulatory as long as I leaned on my sister for support,” she recalls.

“But I went from using a cane to ankle braces to crutches to a wheelchair. I was a little sad initially, but I was determined to keep my life as normal as possible.”

And, Billups did just that, and even went to Temple University to study computer science. But a car accident marked a serious setback before she could get the degree.

In typical can-do fashion, this remarkable woman even rallied from that, and has spent the last 14 years working at Blue Cross, and juggling single motherhood (Billups is divorced) with a full work schedule as a service representative. Clients love her warmth and willingness to go the extra mile.

Her Guardian Angels

And her own guardian angels?  JEVS.

Formerly known as the Jewish Employment and Vocational Service and now simply JEVS Human Services, the organization was originally founded back in 1941 by 25 concerned Jewish Philadelphians. Its mission then: to help Jewish refugees adjust and adapt to their new lives in Philadelphia.

Now totally non-sectarian in its outreach, and one of the largest private nonprofit organizations in the region, JEVS serves more than 20,000 individuals annually, focusing on those with physical, developmental and emotional challenges, or facing daunting social and economic conditions. With a staff of nearly 1,000 employees and an annual budget of $92 million, the organization is committed to lending a hand to those in need.

“We’re about ‘Making Hope Happen,’ which is actually our anthem, explains Kristen A. Rantanen, Vice President for Communications and Public Affairs for JEVS.

The Challenges of Everyday Life

Catherine Billups is an inspiring case in point. Because of her severe physical limitations – and her deep desire to be a useful member of society –
Billups receives daily home assistance from JEVS, making the challenges of everyday life conquerable.

“I could never ever do what I do without JEVS,” says Billups, who relies on JEVS aides to help her dress, work on mobility issues, eat breakfast and get her two young daughters off to school so that she can go to work.

“Catherine is under the umbrella of our Supports for Independence program, Rantanen explains. “Through our services, she can live at home, work, participate in her community and feel like a useful member of society.”

Inspiration Award

Billups, who was recently honored with JEVS’ Inspiration Award, feels enormously grateful that because of the organization, she has a meaningful life.

“Lots of disabled people end up leaning on their own disabilities; I am blessed to overcome my obstacles and even give back…”

For another Inspiration Award recipient, the road also has been dotted with obstacles – and they, too, have been overcome.

Back in the former Soviet Union, there was little hope or help for Solomon Rakhman. Born with severe Cerebral Palsy, and wheelchair-bound, Rakhman immigrated to the United States in 1988 with his parents, who were seeking a far better life outcome for him here.

With his then-14-year-old younger brother as his support – and his communicator to the outside world, since Solomon Rakhman cannot speak without assistance devices – he came to JEVS several years later when he learned about its services.

His mother still remembers the sweep of emotions she felt when her son, who had so few opportunities in his former country, got on a school bus and went to Widener Memorial High School.

“That yellow bus was like a miracle!” she says.

Solomon Rakhman was able to complete high school and then graduate with honors from Temple University’s School of Business. Today, he is employed as a computer assistant at the Philadelphia Naval Base, dividing his time between home and office.

In 2002, this remarkable young man was named Department of Defense Outstanding Employee with Disabilities at the Naval Base. His award was signed by Donald Rumsfeld, then-Secretary of Defense.

He also is a sought-after lecturer, again using assistive devices, and has spoken internationally about the personal and economic aspects of living with disabilities.

“It’s been so gratifying to see this young man come such a long way, working with JEVS and its personal assistance program and gaining the independence he so needs and wants,” says Rantanen of JEVS.

Additional Services

Along with its crucial Supports for Independence program, JEVS Human Services also oversees addiction recovery programs, skills and career development, services for seniors and the elderly, services for military veterans and, in all, a total of 20 programs in with the common goal of enhancing the quality of life, employability and independence of challenged individuals in the region.

Those three simple words – “Making Hope Happen” – are enormously powerful in the hands of JEVS, where a commitment to caring is deeply felt – and faithfully honored.