- Emergency Assistance
- YouthFirst
Dear Friend,
Julie’s mom came home from waiting tables one evening and found her daughter unconscious. Lying next to her was an empty bottle of sleeping pills.
Amazingly, Julie’s life was saved at the emergency room, but it was a very close call. Her cry for help needs to be addressed with ongoing care.
Julie isn’t alone in her worries. Reports of major depression have increased by 37 percent nationwide. Experts blame everything from academic pressure to online bullying—and now, sadly, the very real fear of gun violence—as the reasons so many young people seriously contemplate suicide or resort to substance abuse.
“We’re seeing children as young as eight so anxious and stressed they can’t make it through a day at school,” says Beth Berkowitz, director of JFCS’ Children’s Clinical Services.
Please join us in reversing these destructive trends. Through expert mental health services JFCS helps young people struggling with low self-esteem, falling grades, and social isolation before it’s too late.
Your donation goes toward therapy for teens in crisis, positive youth development and Jewish community service programs, training so teachers recognize the signs of depression in young children early, and education for parents on ways to raise kids with anxiety disorders to become healthy and productive adults.
A full 70 percent of JFCS’ clients cannot afford the cost of care, and that is why your investment is so important. Your gift will not only help our community’s children grow, it supports anyone struggling with illness, aging, family crisis, or isolation.
The strength of our community depends on the wellness of our young people. You can put a stop to this crisis and start young lives on the right track by making a donation today.
Yours sincerely,
Jim Shapiro
JFCS Board President