News & Impact

Parisa Sayani, a young Jewish-Iranian woman, came to this country almost three years ago with hope and determination … and little else. Denied access to adequate education in her homeland, she set her sights on the Academy of Art University’s School of Architecture in San Francisco. Having few resources, she juggled several jobs while carrying a full class load. Still, no matter how hard she worked, she couldn’t cover tuition, school supplies, and living expenses. Never losing hope, Parisa sought assistance through JFCS’ Educational Loans and Grants Program. It was a life-turning chapter in her educational journey. The agency… Read More

The desire to make the world a better place—tikkun olam—runs deeply in the veins of Yolanda Anyon’s family. “We grew up with stories of my grandfather, who was a labor activist,” she says, “and I heard from my parents about their anti-war activities during the Viet Nam era. I learned that working toward justice was part of a struggle rooted in the Jewish tradition.” Today, Yolanda carries on her family’s proud tradition. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in ethnic studies that focused on civil rights, she worked with community-based organizations in the East Bay, helping to develop… Read More

The desire to make the world a better place—tikkun olam—runs deeply in the veins of Yolanda Anyon’s family. “We grew up with stories of my grandfather, who was a labor activist,” she says, “and I heard from my parents about their anti-war activities during the Viet Nam era. I learned that working toward justice was part of a struggle rooted in the Jewish tradition.” Today, Yolanda carries on her family’s proud tradition. After graduating from Stanford University with a degree in ethnic studies that focused on civil rights, she worked with community-based organizations in the East Bay, helping to develop… Read More

Thanks to the help he received from the educational loan and grant program of JFCS’ Financial Aid Center, Ben Botts is launching a career that will touch the lives of countless workers across the country. An alumnus of Boalt Hall at the University of California, Berkeley, Ben was one of five recent law-school graduates selected nationwide to serve as an Honors Program attorney at the United States Department of Labor. He says he never would have been able to achieve this success without JFCS’ support. Over the next two years, Ben will tackle a sweeping range of critical issues,… Read More