During the height of the Gold Rush, August Helbing and a group of fellow Jewish pioneers from Bavaria banded together to meet the needs of their fledgling community. The result was the Eureka Benevolent society, the first charitable organization west of the Mississippi, founded to care for the poor and the sick. Eureka eventually merged with the Pacific Hebrew Orphan Asylum and its successor, Homewood Terrace, becoming today's Jewish Family and Children's Services (JFCS) of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties. The tradition of caring has carried on through the generations, as JFCS pioneers new solutions to human problems and continues to alleviate suffering and strengthen individuals and families.

"For over 150 years, since the birth of San Francisco, Jewish Family and Children's Services has been serving the needs of the dynamic, growing population of San Francisco and the Bay Area. We have watched the city change and have adapted our services to meet the needs created by those changes," says Dr. Anita Friedman, JFCS executive director. "JFCS is proud to be part of the fabric of this city and part of the history that has made living and working here so exciting and rewarding."

JFCS is a catalyst for change, transforming the community's cherished values into an action plan for saving lives and repairing the world. A national leader in providing innovative and effective social service solutions to problems facing families and individuals of all ages, the agency offers assistance to more than 45,000 people annually - cradle to rocking chair - through 17 offices around the Bay Area. Integral to this effort are thousands of acts of loving kindness performed by more than 2,000 JFCS volunteers. JFCS' Parents Place, one of the nation's first family resource centers based on prevention and early intervention, has lent critical support and guidance to countless children, teens and families. Seniors·At·Home enables older adults to sustain their independence through a model continuum of community-based care. Dream House, a transitional shelter offering safety, counseling and job training, helps women and children escape homelessness and domestic violence. JFCS' new Rhoda Goldman Plaza and Miriam Schultz Grunfeld Building in San Francisco provides a state-of-the-art assisted living and social services complex for the entire community.

Whether it is providing on-the-job training and health benefits to individuals moving from welfare to work through its Utility Workshop employment development program; providing small business loans, scholarships, financial counseling and emergency assistance to help people realize their dreams; delivering meals to people with AIDS and disabilities; or offering leadership opportunities for teens, JFCS proves time and time again that it is an effective organization that brings tremendous value to the community.

The agency has given more than 40,000 refugees from many countries, including the former Soviet Union, a new lease on life in the Bay Area by providing the resources to help them resettle and become self-sufficient, fully participating citizens of their new country and community.

JFCS believes that each human life is precious. It is all the dedicated people, foundations, businesses and organizations who make it possible for JFCS to make a difference. Along with its partners, JFCS will continue to pioneer a caring community that turns values into actions - and saves lives - every day.