Volunteer Spotlight March 2025: Carol Shapiro
Can you tell us about yourself and your background?
My name is Carol Shapiro, and I like to call myself a professional volunteer. I’ve spent most of my adult life volunteering for many different organizations, including the Minneapolis Children’s Hospital Auxiliary, the Sholom Home Auxiliary co-chairing the Sholom Ball, and I served as treasurer on the Board of the Auxiliary for many years as well. I helped open Sholom’s Auxiliary office in Minneapolis and took computer programming classes to switch from paper files to online for both the finances and Ball records.
Once my husband, Alan, and my brother-in-law, Bobby, were diagnosed with Young Onset Alzheimer’s Disease, I turned my volunteer efforts to the Alzheimer’s Association MN/ND Chapter. I served on the Board of Directors and chaired the Enhancing Care and Support Committee; co-chaired the Alzheimer’s Gala and still help on the committee; served as the Alzheimer’s Ambassador to Senator Al Franken and then Senator Tina Smith, and attended the Alzheimer’s Advocacy Forum in Washington D.C. for 12 years.
I was appointed by the state of Minnesota to serve on the first Alzheimer’s Disease Working Group, representing caregivers to make recommendations to the legislature on preparing Minnesota for Alzheimer’s, which later became Act on Alzheimer’s, and our model for community engagement ended up going national. Following my work with the Association, I was appointed to serve on the Palliative Care Advisory Council for MN.
Alan, of blessed memory, and I have three adult children, and four wonderful grandkids, all living in Los Angeles.
What motivated you to begin volunteering with JFCS and how long have you been volunteering with JFCS?
When I was looking for programs for Alan within the Jewish community, I was unable to find any. I heard about the Twin Cities Jewish Alzheimer’s Task Force from my friend, Gail Machov. I joined the task force in 2008, under the auspices of both Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis and Jewish Family Service of St. Paul. I had supported JFCS before this, but this was the beginning of my volunteer work with it.
What JFCS programs do you volunteer with?
I was on the Twin Cities Jewish Alzheimer’s Task Force until it disbanded in 2019. As a volunteer for the task force, we became a pilot faith community with ACT on Alzheimer’s, which brought my two worlds of volunteering together. We worked on interviewing rabbis, synagogue lay leaders, and community members to identify potential gaps in services for those dealing with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias. We helped to create an action plan toolkit for other communities throughout the state. During this process, we held a training session for all the rabbis in the Twin Cities and began Dementia Friends and Champion training for the synagogue staffs and volunteers within the community.
I also serve on the Keeping the Spirit Alive Alzheimer’s Caregiver Conference Committee and the Sustainability Workplan Group, which brings together volunteers from both the Keeping the Spirit Alive Conference and the Mental Health Education Conference.
What’s your favorite part about volunteering with JFCS and how has being a JFCS volunteer impacted your life?
My favorite part about volunteering with JFCS has been the passion of those who volunteer with me. I love seeing how our work on the Keeping the Spirit Alive Conference comes to fruition on the day of the conference.
Volunteering with JFCS has allowed me to give back to our community by helping to support others who are new to what can be an exhausting and difficult journey.
Do you have a memorable story about your JFCS volunteer experience to share?
I think my most memorable story of my JFCS volunteer experience was when Judy Witebsky and Rita Kelner asked me and my son, Mark, to be the keynote speakers at the first Keeping the Spirit Alive Conference. It was emotionally difficult to honestly tell our caregiving journey. However, standing at the podium with my son was heartwarming, and I loved having Mark by my side.
What would you say to someone who’s thinking of volunteering with JFCS?
By all means, DO IT! The staff at JFCS are amazing to work with. Take it from a professional volunteer… volunteering is a very rewarding experience!
FYI – The Keeping the Spirit Alive Caregiver Conference is being held on Sunday, April 27, at Adath Jeshurun Synagogue. If you have a loved one or friend with memory concerns, please consider joining us.
For more information on JFCS Volunteer Services, click here or contact Dana Shapiro, Community and Volunteer Engagement Manager, at dshapiro@jfcsmpls.org.