News & Impact

When 71-year-old Jay lost his wife in 2011, he received comfort from JFCS’ spiritual cares services and its Bereavement Support Group. “JFCS and Seniors At Home helped me get through a tough time,” he said. That’s why Jay didn’t hesitate to return to Seniors At Home this spring, when he began dating. “I felt like I was cheating on my wife,” he said, “and I needed to talk through issues I haven’t addressed in almost 50 years—sex and intimacy.” “It’s not unusual for many people in their 60s, 70s, 80s, and even 90s to experience conflicting feelings about love, romance,… Read More

You’re tired, cranky, and short-tempered. You feel that you have no life outside of your spouse, kid, and job. Does this make you a lousy parent—or are you being too hard on yourself? “We see a lot of clients  who wonder whether they’re good parents,” says Karen Friedland-Brown, MA, Director of Parents Place on the Peninsula, “Most of the time, they’re doing fine. All they need are support, strategies, and reassurance.  “Parents in the Bay Area are particularly hard on themselves,” continues Karen. “They’re super-achievers: educated, driven, and socially conscious.They want to do the right things for their kids. We… Read More

A consortium of Bay Area Jewish institutions and a national museum invite community members to come together on Sunday, April 7, for They Did Not Stand Idly By: Yom HaShoah and the 70th Anniversary of the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, an afternoon program marking Holocaust Remembrance Day. The free program will be held at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco (JCCSF), 3200 California St. It is co-presented by the JCCSF, Jewish Family and Children’s Services’ Holocaust Center, Lehrhaus Judaica, the Jewish Community Relations Council, the San Francisco branch of the Anti-Defamation League of the Central Pacific Region, and the United… Read More

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