News & Impact

Forty-four-year-old Ben has not had an easy year. Only three weeks after sitting shiva for his wife, Susan, who succumbed to aggressive metastatic breast cancer last December, he was told by his employer that his company was relocating to Texas—without him. “I was dealing with unspeakable grief, trying to take care of my son, and barely holding it together,” recounts Ben, who had worked as a mid-level sales manager for a high-tech firm. “On top of that, my 77-year-old dad, also a widower, had recently had heart surgery and needed help. If my rabbi hadn’t recommended JFCS, I don’t know… Read More

A survivor of Auschwitz, Sam came to this country in 1947, the only member of a large extended family to have escaped death. After many years as a shipping clerk, he finds himself frail and alone at 89, living on a modest income and the support of JFCS’ Seniors At Home program, which provides him with subsidized home care and care management.”I don’t know how I’d carry on without this help,” says Sam, who has diabetes and gout and still suffers nightmares from the war. “The people at the Seniors At Home are angels and JFCS is an absolute… Read More

Every Hanukkah, Joyce and other residents at a local senior community look forward to seeing JFCS volunteers Mike, Kathy, and their two children, who bring holiday greetings and bags of traditional foods. “The treats are lovely,” says Joyce, “but what I most enjoy is the company. My children and grandkids live far away, so it’s nice to spend time with people I consider part of my extended family.” “Joyce is delightful,” says Mike, “and the kids have grown close to her over the years. We try to visit her and other local residents at Passover and the High Holidays, as… Read More

Seniors At Home is celebrating 25 years of providing home care services! As the largest provider in Northern California, we know how hard it can be to find the perfect match. So many in our expanding population of elderly and disabled urgently need care. But, unfortunately we’ve seen some alarming trends as people choose unlicensed caregivers for themselves or family members. UCLA recently published a report on the unregulated home care industry asking,  “Who is minding the people who are minding our elders?” “Most of us don’t realize that unless caregivers are part of an agency, no one is… Read More

Melissa, a New Yorker, became concerned when she learned that her only living relative, Aunt Millie, in Palo Alto, was a victim of a financial scam and was experiencing significant memory loss. “I can’t handle my aunt’s affairs long-distance, so I was grateful when a friend found JFCS’ Conservatorship program,” says Melissa. “It has given me peace of mind.” Thanks to the program, all of Millie’s needs—whether they relate to housing, health, finances, or day-to-day affairs—are tended to by JFCS care managers. “To be conserved, clients like Millie have to be shown to be lacking the capacity to make decisions… Read More

Loneliness is a major issue for the elderly and has been linked closely with poor health. Debby Katz and John Perkins are volunteers with JFCS’ Senior Companions program. They regularly visit elderly clients and have seen the positive impact of their companionship first hand. They are also getting as much out of the program as the seniors whose lives they touch. Debby and John have found that volunteering is one of the best ways to give back to your community and get connected with others. Both retired professionals, they are among the hundreds of volunteers who have helped our elderly… Read More