News & Impact

Simon Miller, volunteer with JFCS’ Legal Services Program:
When I first started volunteering with JFCS, I was looking for a way to feel more rooted in my community. I began with grocery deliveries—a simple way to offer help that fit easily into my week. I didn’t expect that a one-off request to accompany a client to the Social Security office would become one of the most meaningful days I’ve spent as a volunteer.

The client, Katya, is 77 years old. She recently became a U.S. citizen with support from JFCS and needed to update her records with the Social Security Administration in order to keep receiving her benefits. The challenge? Katya has memory issues, and English is not her first language. If she went alone, there was a real risk she’d lose track of her paperwork—or worse, be denied the benefits she relies on to survive.

I had the time, so I said yes.

Her appointment was supposed to be at 9:00am, but Katya wound up being late and missed her original appointment. We had to start over from square one. Each step meant waiting in line, answering questions, and moving through a bureaucracy that isn’t designed for people like Katya. The whole process was exhausting for me, and I’m healthy and a native English speaker. For Katya, it was a marathon.

Between appointments, we talked. She shared stories from her life growing up in Armenia, working across different countries, navigating various regimes and reinventions. Even though her memory would sometimes cause her to repeat certain stories, what came through was clear: this is someone who’s lived, worked, endured, and now, in her late 70s, is starting over again.

As the hours went by, I found myself not just interpreting jargon but also advocating for her in subtle ways. I rephrased complex questions and was also able to help Katya complete answers when words failed her.

Would I do it again? Absolutely. It’s just a day. But for someone like Katya, that day could have made the difference between getting the help she needs or slipping through the cracks of a system not built for people like her.

Volunteering at JFCS continues to remind me that making an impact isn’t always a flashy spectacle. Sometimes it’s quiet, patient, and rooted in just being there for someone. Even when plans change. Even when it takes all day. Even when it’s not what you signed up for.

Especially then.