News & Impact

Danny K. and Ron C. with their son, Beckett, 3 “Adoption Connection did a great job in preparing us to become dads. They took us through every possible adoption scenario—from the smoothest to the most challenging. The more we learned to let go and allow things to unfold naturally, the more relaxed we were.  We felt totally supported. “We also learned during the adoption process how important it is to understand what the birthmother is going through, which helped us to be sensitive and thoughtful in our interactions with her. Beckett was born literally hours after we had an… Read More

JFCS is proud of our Loans and Grants Program graduates. Here are updates on two of our many successful alumni: Andrea Bouch-Dimondstein What do you do? Andrea Bouch-Dimondstein I’m a senior account manager at Fluxx, a San Francisco-based company that provides customized software to grant makers. I work closely with large and small foundations. Before that, I worked at Google, and I was a Kiva Fellow in Guatemala. Kiva is an international nonprofit whose Fellows oversee improvement projects worldwide through microfinancing institutions. Where did you go to college? I received my bachelor’s degree from the University of California, San Diego.… Read More

Anita and Ronald z’l Wornick sat for this interview in 2014. May his memory be for a blessing. Over many years, Ronald and Anita Wornick have touched the worlds of art, medical research, education, and Jewish philanthropy through gifts that have made a difference in the lives of many. But few of their gifts have meant as much to them personally as the Harry & Florence Wornick Endowment Fund for Youth Loans, which they established at JFCS as a tribute to Ron’s parents. The fund, which supports the education of promising students, recently received a boost with a significant… Read More

The last thing Gillian remembered was crossing the street on a green light. When she woke up, she was in the ICU, hooked up to machines and in a body cast. Doctors told her she’d never walk again. “I cried for my mum,” Gillian recalls. “I wasn’t thinking straight. My mother had died years ago in Johannesburg.” After months in the hospital, Gillian tried to get back to her life. “But I couldn’t,” she says. “I was angry, confused, and paralyzed—literally and emotionally. I remember when a friend wheeled me into the JFCS building.  I felt at my lowest. I… Read More

By the time Jonah was 30, he’d had more than a dozen surgical procedures to treat Crohn’s disease, a chronic disorder that affects the gastrointestinal tract. The surgeries prevented his debilitating condition from worsening, but they didn’t cure him of it. Because of Crohn’s, he has been unable to have a career. “I was deeply depressed by the way my life was turning out,” he says. “Fortunately, a family friend told me about JFCS’ Disabilities Program. It has been a lifesaver. I’ve not only received emotional support, but also solid, practical guidance and other services that have kept me… Read More

JFCS sends warm wishes to you and your loved ones as Passover nears.We also want to thank all participants in our Seder Sacks assembly and delivery efforts, who bring holiday cheer to the most vulnerable in our community, and our friends who have given to our our Seder Sacks campaign. You can still help with Seder Sacks. Come join us! A special thank-you to Joyce Newstat and Susan Lowenberg, who recently established the Seymour Newstat Endowment Fund, This thoughtful gift supports a beautiful annual seder for Holocaust survivors who attend JFCS’ Café by the Bay, a program that… Read More