News & Impact

Depression, cognitive decline, and long-term illness are just some of the dangers associated with loneliness and social isolation for adults 65 and over. JFCS’ Senior Services Program, Seniors At Home, has collaborated with two innovative technology companies, Intuition Robotics and Lyft, to harness the benefits of technology and make sure that seniors can enhance their quality of life, as well as their independence at home. Digital Companion Offers Connection and Reduces Social Isolation Imagine waking up and being greeted by a friendly digital companion that tells you the weather, sends you photos from your grandkid’s Instagram account, and reminds you… Read More

Many of us get to know Jewish Family and Children’s Services when a crisis strikes. Whether it’s a child struggling with a disability, job loss, divorce, or a sick parent, one bad thing can really knock you down. JFCS gets us back up. It happened to me when my sister’s dementia rapidly progressed. JFCS brought in trained professionals who knew how to manage her condition; her situation improved, and I was beyond relieved. When I heard about another JFCS client who is suffering from dementia and is all on her own, I was moved to share her story with you:… Read More

Do the Good Thing—Please Donate to the JFCS Annual Campaign Ida has survived many hardships in life. She survived the Nazi camps as a girl in Poland and breast cancer as a middle-aged woman living in the Bay Area. But the one thing she says she can’t survive is being separated from Saul, her husband of 58 years. Saul’s been frail since his stroke. Ida can’t take care of him on her own, and the couple does not have children. Their fixed income is extremely limited and they can’t afford home care. One bad fall, Ida fears, would mean Saul… Read More

What do you think of when you read the term “palliative care”? If you’re like many people, you might not be familiar with it. But if you’re coping with a serious illness or disability, it’s something you and your loved ones will want to know about. Palliative care can improve your quality of life, keep you comfortably in your home—and research says it may even help you live longer.   “Palliative care is about relieving suffering at any stage of an illness, whether you’re managing a serious chronic condition, like lung or heart disease, or dealing with a life-limiting disability,”… Read More

At 83, Mrs. Bernstein has been doing fairly well living alone in her San Francisco apartment. As a Holocaust survivor and legally blind she is a homebound client of JFCS and receives case management and Kosher Meals on Wheels each day. Recently, she needed help installing grab bars to improve her bathroom’s safety. JFCS’ newest volunteer project, Mensches On the Go, will bring more clients access to a variety of skilled volunteers to complete short-term projects throughout the Bay Area who need a little extra help. Merle Kovtun has been a true mensch volunteering with JFCS for almost 20 years,… Read More

J Weekly By Patricia Corrigan …S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services provides respite care four hours a week and Graham visits her parents in San Francisco every weekend. “My father was my heart and soul. He was supposed to teach my kids to play tennis and to play music. And he can’t,” she says. “Because my mom has been bound to her home for three years now, she has lost her youth, her ability to work and all her friends.” Read more at the J Weekly >… Read More