News & Impact

JFCS’ Food Program, which runs a Food Pantry in each of our five regional offices (in San Francisco, Marin, Sonoma, San Mateo, and Santa Clara counties), is seeking volunteers to go to the San Francisco Food Bank on a weekly basis to select appropriate food items for our San Francisco Food Pantry and for our home-delivered meal program serving younger adults with disabilities. Several volunteer openings are available. Volunteers will have: A strong interest or background in health and nutrition. Interest or experience in volunteering in a social-service setting. Strong communications skills. Reliable transportation. A valid California driver’s license,… Read More

“My students don’t know about Adolf Hitler,” says Brian Jamieson, a San Francisco teacher who works with high-risk youth . That’s why Jamieson and his students have attended the JFCS Holocaust Center’s annual Day of Learning, which brings together hundreds of students, teachers, and survivors for intensive study and discussion of the Holocaust. This year, it takes place on Sun., Mar. 17, at San Francisco’s Mercy High School. “I want my students to not only understand why Hitler was bad,” he says, “but why the Holocaust is relevant today.” JFCS Holocaust Center is Northern California’s primary resource for Holocaust… Read More

Happily married for 60 years, Max and Helen began experiencing difficulties caused by Max’s declining health. She wanted home care for him, he refused, and she no longer had the stamina to provide the assistance her husband needed. “They faced a difficult situation common to many senior couples,” says Judy Lynch, RN, BS, MA, Director of Seniors At Home. Helen and her family turned to Seniors At Home for help. “My mom was at her wit’s end,” says Cheryl, Helen’s daughter, who attended a Seniors At Home consultation with her mother. “The care manager and social worker were a… Read More

Because business leaders know it takes a village to support those in need, they generously offer resources to JFCS clients. Recently, Peet’s Coffee & Tea contributed to our Dream House and Parents Place programs—a result of Peet’s customers who made donations to totaling $10,000. Peet’s joins many business partners, that give cash and in-kind gifts. They include San Francisco magazine, Whole Foods, the San Francisco 49ers, and many more. “We are grateful for the outpouring of support that we receive throughout the year from companies, big and small, that want to give back to the community by investing in… Read More

Seventy-three-year-old retired businessman Paul Sonnenblick volunteered with students in San Francisco’s public schools for a couple of years, so when he learned about JFCS’ mentoring program during a tour of the agency, he jumped at the opportunity to be of service. “I like working with kids,” says Paul, “and the 10-year-old JFCS assigned me to is such a delight and smart as a whip.” Paul reviews homework and school assignments with Steven, a 5th grade student, and he uses computer games as a springboard to discuss a wide array of issues and to boost his student’s writing and speaking abilities.… Read More

For Irene Gorodyansky, serving as a JFCS mentor to a 16-year-old high school junior is a way of giving back to the Jewish community that helped her and her family when they emigrated from the former Soviet Union. But it is also a labor of love. “I love working with teenagers,” says Irene, a UC Berkeley alum and now a doctoral student in psychology. “They’re at an age when you can have an impact on them … and they’re also a lot of fun.” In addition to tutoring her student, Marisa, in math and SAT prep, Irene talks to her… Read More