L'Shanah Tova from Jewish Family Services

On behalf of the Jewish Family Services (JFS) Board of Directors and staff, I want to wish everyone in our community a happy, healthy, and prosperous new year. Reflecting on the past year, I am so thankful for the support our community has given to ensure JFS was able to continue to meet our community’s needs during a time none of us will ever forget. I am especially grateful to the JFS professional team for its diligence, creativity, and commitment to making many adjustments that were necessary to ensure that our valuable services continued to be available in an “agency without walls.” During this past year, JFS responded to the emotional and financial needs of our community, creatively developing ways to keep our seniors connected and engaged, providing workshops to manage stress and anxiety, and helping families navigate the challenges of being home together 24/7. Thanks to the support of our community and volunteers, JFS was able to respond to more than a 50% increase in the need for food pantry services.

As JFS reopened its doors in August, we also began to assess the opportunities that were presented during the pandemic. As we embark on the new year, we know we need to position JFS to be at the forefront of responding to a changed community. Expanding our scope of services to incorporate telehealth as a permanent platform in our array of mental health services, using technology to connect seniors and others challenged by physically attending programs and services, helping parents navigate new changes and challenges in our education systems, and educating staff and community members on managing stress in a changing culture are just a few of the components of JFS’s goals for continuing to support the growing needs of our community.

Once again this year, September kicks off JFS’s annual Family to Family fundraising campaign. Our theme this year, “Re-Imagining a Stronger Community,” reflects JFS’s commitment to our vision of ensuring the programs, services, and supports are in place to emerge from the pandemic a stronger, more connected community. We look forward to working with our entire community to make this vision a reality.

L’Shanah Tova, Louis Sinkoe President, Jewish Family Services