News & Impact

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

“How can our son be so different from us?” asked Marsha, who describes herself and her husband, Ben, as bookish geeks. “Everyone in our family is quiet and reflective,” she said. “It’s as if Jack, our son, landed from another planet.” Energetic, loud, and impulsive, 7-year-old Jack became hard to contain at home, often intimidating his 11-year-old sister. But he was even more challenging at school, where his teachers told Marsha and Ben that they needed to seek help if they wanted him to remain there. “He was acting out constantly,” says Marsha. “We chose Parents Place for help, and… 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

The first day of school, your son has a tummy ache. You take his temperature, but you already know that what’s really ailing him is another common childhood ailment: school phobia. “Many children experience extreme anxiety when they enter new situations—new schools, teachers, classmates, and academic challenges,” says Mimi Ezray, LCSW, MPH, Coordinator of Children’s Clinical Services at Peninsula Parents Place. “Understand that trying to avoid school is not unusual and there are many effective strategies to help ease and manage their fears,” says Mimi. In addition to offering your children emotional support, reassuring them, and addressing their… Read More

We need volunteers to assist with shopping. Please join us! For some, shopping isn’t just a fun outing. It’s also a life-affirming experience that brings meaning to their lives. That’s how Marin County JFCS volunteers Zhenya Fridman and Judy Barr see it. Zhenya and Judy are both members of JFCS’ Special Delivery Grocery Program–volunteers who shop weekly at a local grocery store and then deliver needed items to the homes of JFCS clients who can no longer get to the supermarket themselves. “I have elderly parents myself, so I know how difficult it can be for people to take care… Read More