News & Impact

High school junior Marley Freyman has always been passionate about leadership, an interest she nurtured through her involvement in the many opportunities offered by JFCS’ YouthFirst programming. Her first experience was as a YouthFirst Impact Year Leader. As her service project for that program, she collaborated with JFCS’ Shupin Social Club and the Gary Shupin Independent Living Community for adults with developmental disabilities. She organized the Shupin volunteers in an effort to clean up walking paths in San Francisco’s Presidio district. “We took a lot of time walking in pairs through nature, picking up trash and forming bonds between groups that might never have connected otherwise,” she reflects.

She later worked as a paid intern in the JFCS YouthFirst Summer Internship Program. Marley worked as a tutor at Celsius and Beyond, a summer camp for children to explore science and critical thinking. She loved working with the young students, and the experience showed her that putting Jewish values of service, compassion, and social justice into action gave her a meaningful way to make an impact on others.

She put these lessons into practice by leading additional volunteer events to help the community. One event, “Sukkat Shalom,” was an opportunity for volunteers to create care packages with handmade candles and heartfelt letters of support for survivors of intimate partner violence. “Seeing women around the world face so much injustice, it was rewarding to be able to give back to that community and support other women,” Marley says. Another was “Mitzvah Meals,” an event with JFCS Food Banks to pack food donations and decorate recipe cards for food-insecure families.

In addition, Marley has built meaningful intergenerational connections through YouthFirst. After participating in the “Latkes and Love” Hanukkah event at Rhoda Goldman Plaza—JFCS’ vibrant assisted living community—she formed bonds with many of the residents. Now, she visits each week to play blackjack with a group of women who have become close friends.

JFCS also plays an important role in emotional support for Marley. After the horrific October 7 attack on Israel in 2023, Marley started to witness antisemitism and hate proliferating online. Inbal, her YouthFirst coordinator, was a big support to her during this time. “Having Inbal to lean on truly is one of the best things that has ever happened to me,” she confides. 

Drawing on skills learned from her YouthFirst mentors about navigating difficult conversations, Marley applied these lessons in real life. When a classmate posted objectionable Israel-Gaza content online, Marley approached her and discussed the issue respectfully. “We sat down and had a civil conversation,” she recalls. From then on, the two agreed to be more mindful of the content they share on social media.

Her time at JFCS has also helped encourage Marley’s aspirations for the future. The lessons in justice and advocacy she’s developed through her experience have inspired her to continue pursuing systemic change in her community, focusing on issues like housing, education, and food insecurity.

Marley plans to continue her journey at JFCS through volunteer opportunities and engaging her peers. She believes strongly in her generation. “These kids aren’t getting involved just to look good or collect service hours,” she emphasizes, “They’re doing it because they really care.”