Bob Rich’s life has been quite multifaceted, ranging from being a journalist in local newspapers to involvement in charity work and child literacy.
These days, however, Bob is centered on helping children to learn and enjoy reading.
“I support elementary school students as a reading tutor,” explains Bob. “I intend to get them to be better at reading.”
Today, Bob is employed by two organizations as a literacy tutor, something he enjoys as he’s helping shape younger generations.
“I do both on the same day, but also I tutor in math,” adds Bob. “I support students ranging from elementary to high school.”
Bob has been involved with JVS SoCal for many years. He credits JVS SoCal’s career coach Giselle Hartman as the person who has mentored him for a little more than two decades.
“She has played an important part in helping me throughout the years,” he said.
He has been very involved in varying projects, such as writing biographies on Holocaust survivors with the Shoah Foundation (Steven Spielberg) & the LA Museum of the Holocaust; helping compose the Humanitarian Assistance Manual for the Grossman Burn Foundation, and writing promos for charities like Joni and Friends, an organization that helps people with disabilities.
Most recently, Bob turned to JVS SoCal after his position as editor in a local newspaper came to a close. Through the Ezra Network initiative, Bob was able to receive coaching to work on goal planning and strategy searching for jobs. He also received help with his resume, his cover letter and editing his LinkedIn profile, as well as counseling around his interview performance, and job retention abilities.
“JVS has guided and supported Bob through his many employment transitions providing help with skills clarification, career branding, networking advice and industry specific job development,” explains Giselle Hartman, EZRA Network vocational counselor.
The Ezra Network is an initiative of the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles in partnership with JVS SoCal, offering individualized job search skill development and placement support and is located in various synagogues in Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley and the South Bay.
Even though Bob is not Jewish, he has been involved with the Red Cross Holocaust Training services as a volunteer for many years.
As a journalist and editor, Bob was able to help young writers hone their skills, guiding them through the editing process. This experience has translated into his current experience with children, moving him to write a children’s book.
“Writing has been my friend since the beginning,” says Bob, who has already published a 40-page Novel. “I hope to write some content for educational purposes.”
If you’re inspired by Bob’s story and would like to help someone else achieve their dream, please donate today.