News & Impact

With Bay Area residents sheltering in place, social isolation is putting thousands at risk while trying to keep them safe. Even before a statewide Shelter-in-Place was mandated, social isolation was known as America’s quietest health risk—afflicting everyone from children to seniors, and from stay-at-home parents to CEOs. Even under normal conditions, thousands in our community suffer in silence from the physical and mental health issues related to isolation and loneliness. Research has linked social isolation and loneliness to higher risks of many physical and mental conditions including high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, a weakened immune system, anxiety, depression, cognitive… Read More

By Ellie Pelc, PsyD, clinical psychologist, JFCS Center for Children and Youth. The Coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak is something none of us has ever experienced before. It is a time of tremendous change and disruption for everyone. Parents are being asked to do the impossible, especially working parents, who are suddenly taking care of themselves, their houses, and their kids. The key to meeting this challenge, while taking care of your own mental health, is to be kinder to yourself. Remember That You Are Doing the Best You Can “I never thought I would yell like this. I never thought I’d… Read More

By Ryan Berman, MSW, Director of Disabilities Services at JFCS The recent change in routine has been challenging for us all—and for many adults with developmental disabilities, the upending of a familiar daily schedule has been overwhelmingly distressing. To make matters worse, families have been suddenly left with gaps in the support they are accustomed to receiving, whether from agencies, independent living services, or caregivers. The good news is that there are some tangible ways that families can help their adult  children with disabilities to cope with the new normal. Read on: 1. Make Sure Your Child Understands the Facts… Read More

“Failure is mandatory to get better at anything,” said Dr. Madeline Levine in a recent conversation with JFCS about her new book Ready or Not: Preparing Our Kids to Thrive in an Uncertain and Rapidly Changing World. Madeline, who is serving as an expert for JFCS’ new Center for Children and Youth, explained that parents need to exhibit confidence in their children’s resilience. She said, “I’ve watched my own son and his and wife react as their toddler falls on her butt over and over—they know she has to fall down 100 times in order to stand up”. When… Read More

There has been a recent and dramatic rise in antisemitism; from the shooting at Pittsburgh’s Tree of Life synagogue, to the stabbing on Hanukkah in New York. Attacks on Jews have increased globally, and locally as well. The JFCS Holocaust Center reports a 175% increase in antisemitic acts in schools and community spaces of the past year. As leaders of the Jewish community in the Bay Area, JFCS works diligently to combat hate and antisemitism. We find that education is one of the strongest tools in this ongoing fight. The Holocaust Center continues to play a role in preventing these… Read More

Known as America’s quietest health risk, social isolation and loneliness affects people indiscriminately. From tweens to seniors and from stay-at-home parents to CEOs, many suffer in silence from the physical and mental health issues related to isolation and loneliness. Through the efforts of JFCS’ Center for Children and Youth (CCY) and Seniors At Home (SAH), JFCS is combating isolation by providing critical services and resources for those afflicted. In a time when there are so many ways to stay connected (email, text, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, etc.), why are so many of our youth feeling isolated and lonely? The percent… Read More