The High Holidays Are A Time of Reflection & Action
“Because of JFCS and the Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry, my family is able to have a good meal every day.”
– Nechelle, Food Pantry client
Since 1908, Jewish Family & Career Services has been guided by the Jewish values of Chesed, Kavod, Kehilah, Tzedek, and Avodah. These values are not abstract ideals. They come alive every time we place a bag of food into the hands of someone who doesn’t know where their next meal will come from.
As we enter the High Holidays, we are called not only to reflect, but also to act. The JFCS High Holidays Food Drive, is a powerful way we live out these values as a Jewish Community.
This year, our goal is to collect 8,000 pounds of food for the Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry. This is a goal made necessary by the staggering increase in hunger across Louisville. Today, more than 186,000 of our neighbors face food insecurity—a 48% increase in just two years. Behind each number is a child, an older adult, or a family struggling to live with dignity.
The JFCS Food Pantry, including our satellite pantry at Shalom Towers, has become a vital safety net for our clients. Before the pandemic, we distributed just over 4,000 pounds of food each month. Today, demand has doubled to more than 8,000 pounds monthly, including kosher options and personal care items that preserve dignity as well as health.
Every can, every bag, every dollar matters. To keep shelves stocked at the Sonny & Janet Meyer food pantry, we need your support.
How You Can Get Involved in the High Holiday Food Drive
- Fill a bag at your congregation and return it by Yom Kippur.
- Drop off donations at JFCS, the Trager Family JCC, or participating congregations anytime between now and October 5th (drop off on October 5th at JFCS between 1pm and 3pm).
- Make a financial gift to JFCS through our 2026 End of Year Campaign.
- Invite others: friends, family, colleagues; to join in this mitzvah day on October 5th from 1pm to 3pm. RSVP Here!
On Sunday, October 5, families are invited to a Family Mitzvah Day at JFCS to sort food, and for children to create cards for clients and donors; a beautiful opportunity to have a service day as a family!
This Season, Let’s Work Together to Feed our Neighbors
The High Holidays remind us of our shared responsibility to repair the world. Together, we can ensure no parent sends a child to school hungry, no older adult chooses between food and medicine, and no family feels alone in their struggle.
This season of reflection can also be a season of action. Your gift, whether food or financial, turns Jewish values into daily sustenance and lasting dignity at Jewish Family & Career Services.