News & Impact

Mark Bely says that what he knows about JFCS is that it is a go to organization. When you need help, have questions, or want to give back to the community, you go to JFCS. Mark was nine years old when his family left Russia for a new life in San Francisco. His parents, Boris and Larisa, moved the family to be closer to Boris’ father, who had made the same journey a year before. With hard work and the help of JFCS’ Emigre Services, the three generations of the Bely family soon adjusted to life in America—Boris became… Read More

Just last year, Sarah escaped from a decade-long, abusive relationship with the father of her two young children. She was finally making ends meet on her own when she lost her retail job due to the pandemic. Sarah called JFCS in tears, worried that her sons—who had already experienced so much pain and trauma—now would not even have enough to eat. Sarah is one of thousands of people struggling to afford the cost of food and basic essentials who have called JFCS for help since the start of the pandemic. In fact, the need for food in our community is… Read More

Anna P, Recipient of JFCS Educational Loans and Grants, Found Herself on the Front Lines of the COVID-19 Outbreak When Anna P received the JFCS educational loans and grants that allowed her to attend the University of Massachusetts, she never would have believed that she would enter the nursing field just as COVID-19 had begun its spread, in the epicenter of the pandemic, in a public hospital in New York City. Anna, whose family emigrated to the Bay Area from Ukraine when she was a child, moved to New York after college. After some career exploration, she discovered her true… Read More

When COVID-19 hit the Bay Area, Israeli-American Jessica Hare knew she wanted to do something to help keep older adults safe. She immediately started looking for ways to volunteer and reached out to her friends at the Israeli American Council for ideas. They pointed her to JFCS, and after her first conversation with the volunteer coordinator, she knew JFCS was the right fit. Born in Washington, D.C., Jessica grew up in Tel Aviv, Israel. The decision to move back to the US came when her husband received an opportunity to temporarily relocate to the Bay Area for work. With two… Read More

A first taste of life in the working world hours and his pay statements. By Olivia Perlman Excerpts from the article originally printed in the August Issue of The New Fillmore. As my junior year at Marin Academy was coming to a close last spring, I decided to apply for a summer internship with Jewish Family and Children’s Services on Post Street. This paid internship program offers teens the opportunity to work with local businesses for six weeks under a supervisor’s guidance. The program also includes a weekly workshop in which the interns are taught workplace and life skills, with… Read More

Four years ago Joan became one of the every six Americans diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease each year. The 69 year-old’s symptoms progressed quickly and her husband of over three decades, Brian, retired early from his job in order to care for her while their adult daughter lives with them in their Foster City home for added support. But living on a fixed income while coping with the challenges of caring for their loved one with dementia proved more taxing than the family had imagined. As Joan’s dementia advanced, it became more difficult for her family to connect with her, taking… Read More