News & Impact

San Jose Mercury News, Contra Costa Times, and San Mateo County Times by Sean Maher There is a flood of people in dire need of help for the first time in their lives, dubbed by some as the “new poor,” and they are swamping Bay Area food banks. New clients at Jewish Family and Children’s Services, a nonprofit serving five Bay Area counties, have increased demand for its food services fourfold since the recession started. Ramping up its efforts in turn, JFCS has enlisted about 1,000 volunteers — double that of previous years — to get word out about this… Read More

J Weekly by Sue Fishkoff, correspondent Robert worked for a Bay Area news organization until September 2008. That month the company laid off 15 percent of its nationwide workforce, including 58-year-old Robert. He estimated he had eight months of savings. It ran out in six months. In December 2009, 14 months after losing his job, Robert turned to S.F.-based Jewish Family and Children’s Services for help with rent, utilities and, hardest of all, food. Read More from J Weekly… Read More

Compassionate Companions are a part of the Palliative and End of Life Care program at Seniors At Home. Our comprehensive 25-hour training program prepares volunteers to support the care of clients who are in declining health, undergoing challenging treatments, or nearing the end of life. The next training begins October 12. The volunteer training program is led by an interdisciplinary team that works closely with clients with chronic or terminal illnesses to develop a plan to address their medical, psychosocial, and spiritual needs. Playing a vital role in carrying out this plan, volunteers provide practical, emotional, and spiritual support… Read More

J Weekly by Amanda Pazornik Russian émigré Semion Melamud doesn’t know much English. But the three words the decorated World War II veteran can recite with clarity – “God Bless America” – bring a smile to his weathered face. “I am thankful for the United States and the opportunity to live here,” Melamud, 89, said through a translator. “It’s because of America that my grandchildren and great-grandchildren can live, work and study here.” Melamud was one of more than 200 guests – mostly elderly Russian émigrés – at a May 7 luncheon commemorating the 65th anniversary of Victory Day, which… Read More

J Weekly by Dan Pine Kobe, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel, doesn’t merely sit on Curtis Shore’s lap. The dog melts into it, splayed blissfully across his belly. Leaning back in his Barcalounger, Shore knows Kobe’s favorite scratch spots. The two look so contented, it’s hard to believe they commune only an hour or two each week at the Sunset District home Shore bought soon after moving to San Francisco in 1957. “Who does not love a dog?” asks Shore in a clipped German accent. As his burgundy-colored vest signifies, Kobe is a certified therapy dog with Canine Corps, a… Read More

San Mateo County Times by Carolyn Livengood Jewish Family and Children’s Services of San Francisco, the Peninsula, Marin and Sonoma counties raised about $1 million at its 160th anniversary gala at the Ritz-Carlton in San Francisco. The gala, held March 20, benefits the agency’s Emergency Family Assistance Program, which helps people in crisis with essential needs… Read More from the San Mateo County Times… Read More