Grenis to lead outreach at Greenwood House
Linda Grenis has enhanced her years of service to the Jewish community by taking a job where she will assist members in their golden years.
Grenis, former president of The Jewish Center in Princeton and former board member of the United Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks, is now director of community outreach at Greenwood House.
In the newly created position, which Grenis began in March, she is raising awareness in the general community and among hospital personnel and medical practitioners about the wide range of services offered by Greenwood House, which, in addition to providing skilled nursing, assisted living, rehabilitation, and kosher meals on wheels, also helps seniors “age in place” in their own homes.
“Greenwood House is in a way very fortunate because it is well taken care of by the Jewish community,” said Grenis in a phone interview with NJ Jewish News from the facility’s Ewing site. “It has such a fabulous reputation and we need to get the word out.”
The facility recently added two new services, homemaker and hospice care, which are available to the general public as well as the Jewish community.
“People in the general community need to know we are providing these services,” said Grenis. “I am meeting with different community agencies, hospitals, physicians, and nursing homes to make sure they know. We offer people great services to help them age in place with dignity wherever they are, so we need to make discharge planners and doctors aware.”
The homemaker service, for example, offers assistance with household chores to those in need — whether at home or in a facility — allowing the senior to maintain a degree of continued independence.
“We are so excited to be offering these services,” said Grenis, who discovered how warm and welcoming Greenwood House was when her own mother entered its Robert and Natalie Marcus Home for the Jewish Aged.
The 20-year Princeton resident became such an advocate for the facility, she was invited to join its board in 2007.
A family therapist who previously had her own private practice, Grenis additionally held positions as a vocational counselor at the Westchester division of New York Hospital and was program director and counselor for the New York Association for New Americans.
At the Jewish Center, she has served in a number of roles, including chair of its rabbinic search committee, vice president of administration, recording secretary, and women’s president.
In her community, Grenis has served as president of the Children’s Chess Foundation. She and her husband of 25 years, Michael — a Princeton orthopedic surgeon — have three children.
“I’ve always believed in giving back to the community,” added Grenis, “and being part of the Greenwood House team allows me to give back in so many ways.”
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