- Stories & Testimonials
- People with Disabilities
When Gabe was 45, he developed adult-onset diabetes, leaving him blind and jobless. “Devastated is an understatement,” says Gabe. “I was panicked and emotionally paralyzed. I didn’t know where to turn. Thank G-d a friend directed me to the People with Disabilities Program at JFCS. It has been a lifesaver and has enabled me to be independent which is really important to me.”
Each year, JFCS helps hundreds of adults like Gabe—people with physical, emotional, and developmental disabilities who want to strengthen their lives. Gabe and others meet regularly with counselors from JFCS who offer hope, comfort, and coping tools.
As a client in JFCS’ case management program, Gabe benefited from practical assistance and referrals so that he could get on his feet again. “I can no longer work as a public school teacher, so JFCS connected me to a vocational counselor,” says Gabe. Today, Gabe is employed at a Bay Area nonprofit organization where he can put his skills as an educator to work.
Living with a disability can be extremely challenging for people, and help from JFCS’ expert program staff has been life changing for clients. Without good support, people with disabilities often do not experience the same level of independence, success, and satisfaction.
In addition to people with physical and emotional disabilities, JFCS improves the lives of clients with developmental disabilities, including members of the Gary Shupin Independent Living Community, a residential program providing care management, money management, skills training, and volunteer support. They, as well as other developmentally disabled adults in the Bay Area, also participate in the Shupin Social Club. The club offers engaging activities that foster friendships and ties to the community while also allowing members to learn critical skills.
Learn more about JFCS’ Disabilities program: 415-449-1224.
Learn more about the Shupin Independent Living Community: 415-449-3822; [email protected].
THANK YOU!
JFCS gratefully acknowledges our many friends who support our Disabilities Program, including John and Terry Levin, the Phillips Foundation, Gerson and Barbara Bakar, Frances (Sissy) and Theodore Geballe and the Eucalyptus Foundation, and Phyllis Friedman.