News & Impact

One of our most cherished volunteers, Dr. Larry Hill recalls that he first became intimately acquainted with JFCS eight years ago when he picked up a brochure at Congregation Emanu-El after services one evening, called the number on the back, and asked if there was a role for him. His timing could not have been more fortuitous. JFCS’ Redwing Keyssar, the director of our Palliative Care and End of Life program, had just begun asking her contacts if they knew a doctor who could help. At the time the program was still in its planning stages and she saw the… Read More

There’s nothing like nuzzling with a friendly, four-legged creature that has plenty of unconditional love to share. Scientific and empirical evidence indicates that animals offer comfort and joy to isolated seniors battling with depression. While numerous pet therapy programs exist, JFCS’ Canine Corps program is unique because it fosters ongoing and meaningful three-way relationships between clients, volunteers, and their dogs. Barking up the Right Tree For eight years JFCS has been matching trained canine companions and their owners with clients in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma County, and the Peninsula. Like many JFCS initiatives, the program is designed to help the… Read More

For many of us, the holiday season is a time of comfort, celebration and joy. But for individuals and families in need, this time of year can prove particularly difficult or lonely. JFCS volunteers are gathering together to lovingly provide gifts, meals and comfort to the members of our community who need it most. If you’re looking to give back this holiday season, join us for any of three festive volunteering opportunities that everyone in the family can take part in. Volunteer Thanksgiving Weekend at St. Anthony’s Did you know that one in five adults in San Francisco struggles to… Read More

Do you share your life with a friendly well-trained dog? JFCS’ Canine Corps help seniors live safer, healthier, more independent lives in their own homes. By working with seniors, volunteers have the opportunity to help them remain independent, while building meaningful relationships. Pets often bring out the best in people. This program provides an opportunity for seniors to experience the benefits of human-animal interaction. Here’s how to become a JFCS Canine Corps volunteer: To get started first fill out the online JFCS Volunteer Application and check the “Canine Companions” interest box. A JFCS Volunteer Coordinator will reach out to answer… Read More

The menu featured wonton soup, chicken stir fry with steamed rice and vegetables, cold noodle salad with crispy wontons and peanut dressing, green salad, fruit salad, and tapioca pudding. It was not a new, Asian-inspired restaurant. It was sustenance for people in need; lovingly prepared, packaged, and delivered by volunteers for JFCS clients, including low-income families and seniors. The volunteers are called Chicken Soupers, and they gather approximately once a month to provide food for those who need it. In Marin, the Chicken Soupers come from San Rafael’s Brandeis Hillel Day School (soon to be called Brandeis Marin.) “Programs like… Read More

Join fellow JFCS volunteers (as well as volunteers from our friends at San Francisco’s Congregation Sha’ar Zahav, Temple Emanu-El and Sherith Israel) for our 20th annual workday at Golden Gate Park’s National AIDS Memorial Grove: Sunday, August 9, 2015, 9:00 am – 12:30 pm To remember the thousands in our community whom we lost to HIV and AIDS, as well as to honor those living with it, we gather together yearly in this beautiful, serene setting to weed, plant, and renovate the grove. This is a wonderful opportunity to pay tribute to our friends and loved ones, to work as… Read More