JCC presents Ralph Kushner Volunteer Service Award for 2007

The Jewish Community Center, at the annual board of directors meeting on June 26, presented the JCC Ralph Kushner Volunteer Service Award for 2007. The award was established in 1998 and named after the longtime community volunteer.

This year's recipients were Amy Marks Shaevel and Melissa Milch-Klein. They were honored for their work in creating the JCC's Early Childhood Parent Teacher Group at the Benderson Family Building.

The group has engaged many of the early childhood parents in their children's school, education and social networking. In addition, Shaevel and Milch-Klein have succeeded in raising funds with a variety of programming efforts. The funds were used for grants to teachers, and the purchase of classroom equipment and educational materials. They also sponsored a thank you dinner for teachers and staff of the early childhood program.

Shaevel, who lives in Williamsville with her husband, Andrew, and her son, Lewis, graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Bachelor of Arts degree with honors and holds a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree from the University of Toronto.

Milch-Klein and her husband, Warren, have two children, Ari and Hannah. She graduated from the University of Rochester with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish and education. She also holds a master's degree from Binghamton University.

Both are former school teachers and are in the business of private tutoring.