- Press Releases
Jewish Family and Children’s Services (JFCS) of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin, and Sonoma counties will be honored on February 26 by the Human Relations Commission of Santa Clara County for its work in the areas of human rights, civil rights, and human services.
One of the oldest (founded in 1850) and largest family service institutions in the United States, JFCS serves 60,000 people annually with services designed to strengthen individuals, families, and the community.
JFCS has been in the forefront of many innovative programs over the years, including successful efforts to resettle émigrés from Vietnam, Cambodia, and the former Soviet Union and to assist those with AIDS and HIV. The agency advocates for many populations, including those with disabilities, chronic illness, special needs, and immigration challenges, as well as for those undergoing emergency crises and personal transitions.
The agency has taken the lead in helping those most affected by the current economic crisis and in empowering underserved members of the community. Its Emergency Assistance Program has been established to help those in need: middle-class families who may be experiencing foreclosures on their homes or layoffs; at-risk children and teenagers whose parents are struggling to make ends meet and provide a stable home; and seniors and Holocaust survivors who need home care, bill management, and many other services to remain safely at home.
The Family Ambassador Program, which garnered the award, trains volunteers as resource specialists for low-income families with young children ages five and under. Launched two years ago. it has trained more than 100 ambassadors in the Mountain View and Sunnyvale communities.