Photo By Jeffrey Tholl
Members of the Sandler Family: Larry Schnurmacher, Ali Benman, Evan Schnurmacher, Andrea Schnurmacher, Jonathan Rubin, Robin Rubin, Gary Rubin, David Ross, Amy Ross, Matthew Kohn, Brittany Kohn and Michael Ross
On March 15, the Sandler School of Social Work held the 13th Annual Phyllis Sandler Heart of Social Work event dedicated to the memory of its namesake, Phyllis Sandler, who passed away in December. This year’s event welcomed 150 attendees comprised of faculty, students, alumni, college leadership, donors and friends from the community.
Guests viewed a special tribute video to Phyllis Sandler and heard keynote reflections by Jan Savarick, chair of the Sandler School of Social Work Community Leadership Committee.
The Alumni of the Year was awarded to Cindy Sterne, who teaches as an adjunct instructor and works as a therapist specializing in addictions, co-occurring disorders and group work. Community Agency of the Year was awarded to Broward House, a nonprofit organization that offers support services including behavioral health, HIV prevention and education, case management, mental health counseling and food assistance.
Robin Rubin, founder of the Robin Rubin Center for Happiness and Life Enhancement and daughter of Phyllis Sandler, presented awards to student essay winners Aliza Marshall and Alexis Falance, who were each awarded $2,500 scholarships and the opportunity to share their stories with the audience.
This year’s Heart of Social Work raised more than $150,000, providing a record number of scholarships for students preparing to become the social work leaders of tomorrow.
The Boca Raton Observer was the event’s exclusive media sponsor.
For more information, contact Katherine F. Jones at kfjones@fau.edu or 561-297-2267.