- Stories & Testimonials
- YouthFirst
Do the Good Thing – Please Donate to the JFCS Annual Campaign
Growing up is hard enough these days—heavy homework loads, constant peer pressure, uncertainty about the future. One bad thing can stop a teen in her tracks. It was already bad enough for Jessica, who recently reached out to JFCS in distress. Her friends at school were spreading vicious rumors about her—her grades and self-esteem were slipping.
Jessica tried her best not to worry her widowed father who had struggles of his own. He hadn’t worked a regular job in years due to debilitating back pain, and the jobs he got barely paid for their rent and food. Then one day after school he told her he had cancer.
But one good thing can change everything for Jessica too. Your donation to Jewish Family and Children’s Services today can get Jessica the counseling that her dad cannot afford. JFCS will help her deal with the challenges of school, as well as handling her greatest fear—losing her dad.
Your contribution is vital during these turbulent times—especially in the Bay Area where the growing number of students in our schools who say they feel hopeless or have thoughts of suicide is causing alarm for all of us.
“My dad and I made a deal. He’ll survive cancer and I’ll survive high school.”
We also want to give Jessica the opportunity to enroll in JFCS’ YouthFirst internship, which will build her confidence so that she can cope better at school and prepare for a bright future. As the only child of a single parent, she feared being alone in the world. Through thoughtful discussion of values, Jessica can find strength in her Jewish identity, which she longs for in the wake of her father’s serious illness.
By making a gift you bring expert help to the 78,000 people who come to Jewish Family and Children’s Services in need. Every day we meet with families who are struggling to stay in their homes, seniors who are making tough choices between paying for food or medicine, and youth who are trying to find their way in life. With your support Jewish Family and Children’s Services will be there to sustain lives, bring hope, and help people grow.