Join us for an evening of reflection, recognition, and community at the 2026 JFCS Annual Meeting!
The meeting will take place on June 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the JFCS. Each year, this gathering allows us to reflect on the impact we’ve made together over the past fiscal year, celebrate the volunteers, donors, staff, and partners who make our work possible, and share our vision for the year ahead.
In addition to organizational updates, we’ll also present our annual awards recognizing individuals and partners whose dedication strengthens JFCS and the broader Louisville community. This year, we are honored to present the JFCS Volunteer of the Year Award, the JFCS Community Collaborator Award, and the Mary Gunther Program Innovation Award.
2026 JFCS Volunteer of the Year Award – Madeline Abramsom
For decades, Madeline Abramson has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to service and strengthening the Louisville community. This year, Jewish Family & Career Services is proud to recognize Madeline as our 2026 Volunteer of the Year for her longstanding dedication to JFCS, including her leadership on the Community Advisory Council, her advocacy for JFCS throughout the community, and her remarkable 20 years of service on the JFCS MOSAIC Awards Committee. Through her commitment and leadership, Madeline has helped the JFCS MOSAIC Awards grow into one of Louisville’s most meaningful and successful celebrations of Louisville’s immigrant community. Throughout the year, Madeline also participates in JFCS Family Mitzvah Days and has volunteered through the Telephone Reassurance program, offering connection and support to older adults in our community.
Through her decades of service, Madeline has helped strengthen JFCS as an organization while demonstrating the lasting impact of volunteer leadership in our community. By passing the Jewish value of volunteerism from generation to generation, she continues to inspire others to give back in meaningful ways, lead with integrity, and invest in building a stronger Louisville for everyone!
2026 JFCS Community Collaborator Award – Neighborhood House
The JFCS Community Collaborator Award honors an organization that has partnered with JFCS to serve the community in thoughtful, collaborative, and impactful ways. This year’s award will be presented to Neighborhood House, a longstanding Louisville organization serving individuals and families across generations in the West End. Over the past year, our partnership with Neighborhood House has continued to grow through collaborations supporting older adults, youth career development, and access to mental health and community resources. We are grateful for their partnership and shared commitment to strengthening Louisville through holistic, community-centered care.
2026 Mary Gunther Program Innovation Award – Project Em: Employing our Community led by Cindy Key
This year, Jewish Family & Career Services is proud to present the Mary Gunther Program Innovation Award to Project EM, a national workforce initiative helping individuals navigate career transitions with personalized support, coaching, and connection to resources. Through a collaborative, national program through the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA), Project EM has helped job seekers build confidence, pursue new opportunities, and find greater stability for themselves and their families. Last year, the program also responded to emerging workforce needs by offering workshops and support for individuals transitioning from government sector roles into private sector careers.
At JFCS, Project EM has been led by Cindy Key, who has been at JFCS for over six years. Cindy’s thoughtful approach has made a meaningful difference for job seekers across Louisville and beyond. Through her leadership, Project EM has become a trusted resource for job seekers during times of change and uncertainty.
Special Recognition in memory of Linda Goodman and her passion for the Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry
We will also take time during the evening to honor the memory of Linda Goodman, whose dedication to JFCS and the Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry left a lasting impact on our organization and community. Linda’s compassion, generosity, and unwavering commitment to serving others embodied the values of JFCS, and we are grateful for the many ways she strengthened our work over the years. May her memory be a blessing.
As part of this year’s meeting, we will also share important organizational updates, including the presentation of the incoming Board of Directors slate, recognition of outgoing board members, and updates to the Executive Committee. We are grateful for the leadership, guidance, and generosity of our board members whose service helps advance the mission of JFCS each year.
Incoming JFCS Board Director Slate (to be voted on June 23rd)
Chandra Coles
Diana Duran
Margie Kommor
Jessica Loving
Marcia Roth
JFCS Board Directors who have completed their service
Corey Buckman
Michael Fine
Dr. Julia Richerson
Corey Shapiro
Renewing Board Directors
Dr. Josh Abecassis
Jose Neil Donis
Dr. Avi Hahn
Chan Kemper
JFCS Executive Committee Slate
Judge Joan Byer – Incoming Board Chair
David Kohn – Immediate Past President
Mark Roth – Vice President
Grace Greenwell – Vice President
Jeff Jasnoff – President Elect
Brent Shuman – Treasurer
Dr. Avi Hahn – At-Large Member
Dr. Faye Jones – At-Large Member
We hope you will join us as we celebrate another year of impact made possible through the support, volunteerism, and partnership of our incredible community.
May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and at JFCS, caring for mental health is deeply rooted in our mission and commitment to the community. This month serves as an important reminder of the need to support one another and continue breaking down the stigma surrounding mental health. Over the past five years, JFCS has more than tripled the number of individuals served through our clinical services, reflecting the growing need for accessible, compassionate care across our community. As that need continues to grow, JFCS remains committed to expanding support and ensuring individuals and families can access the services they need.
This year’s theme, More Good Days, Together, encourages us to reflect on what a “good” day means for ourselves, our loved ones, and our community. Nearly one in five adults in the United States experiences a mental health condition. These challenges touch every part of our community and reinforce the importance of accessible, compassionate care without shame or judgment.
JFCS offers a wide range of mental health services designed to meet people where they are. Our counseling services include individual, couples, and family therapy, along with specialized support for older adults navigating aging, grief, isolation, and life transitions. We also facilitate support groups focused on caregiving, parenting, relationships, and other shared experiences that benefit from community connection and guidance.
Other mental health services provided at JFCS include parenting support services that help caregivers navigate stress, behavioral concerns, school challenges, and family dynamics, while specialized maternal mental health services support individuals during pregnancy and the postpartum period. Through our SPACE (Supportive Parenting for Anxious Childhood Emotions) program, parents gain tools to support children experiencing anxiety and OCD. JFCS also offers substance use prevention education and counseling services that support individuals and families impacted by substance misuse. JFCS also partners with community organizations, including immigrant-serving agencies, to provide culturally humble mental health services in clients’ preferred languages whenever possible. JFCS is unique in providing psychiatric services, including medication evaluation and ongoing treatment management tailored to each individual’s needs.
All of these services are offered through a sliding fee scale, and JFCS accepts Medicaid and most insurance providers to help make care accessible for everyone who needs support. No matter where you are in your journey, we are committed to meeting you where you are.
While Mental Health Awareness Month lasts through May, the need for support continues year-round. Every day, JFCS works to ensure that individuals and families can access the care, guidance, and connection they need to thrive.
To everyone who has supported JFCS’ mental health services, whether as a donor, volunteer, advocate, or client, thank you for helping create more good days, together. If you or someone you know could benefit from support, we encourage you to reach out and learn more about the services available through JFCS. You can email services@jfcslouisville.org to start your mental health journey!
If you would like to make a gift to the clinical program, you can do so through this link! Your support allows us to continue providing services on a sliding fee scale and remain accessible!
February is Black History Month, and 2026 is the centennial of this important celebration. This Month shines a light on the many achievements of Black Americans as well as the struggles endured by the community to secure the rights it deserves.
JFCS is eager to acknowledge, honor, and celebrate Black History Month. On February 17, our staff are set to attend the “Black Heritage in Racing Program” at Churchill Downs, followed by a luncheon at the Kentucky Derby Museum. We’re excited to learn about the vital roles Black Americans have historically played in the Kentucky Derby and in horse racing in general.
This follows up on themes we examined last February, in which staff boarded a bus and toured Louisville highlighting locations significant to Black history. Black Americans have always played an important role in Louisville, and it’s beneficial for us to examine the different ways the Black community has enriched our town.
It is JFCS’ vision that all in Greater Louisville live with dignity and purpose; Black History Month is an opportunity for us all to reflect on how to work towards a world where this vision becomes reality.
We’d also like to use our platform to highlight Black History events in Louisville throughout the month. The Louisville Free Public Library, in partnership with the UofL Health Sciences Center Office of Equity and Engagement, will be hosting an installment of its Black History Month Film Series each Saturday of February at the Parkland Library. The films are as follows: Zora Neale Hurston: Claiming a Space on February 7; The Woman King on February 14; Critical Condition: Health in Black America on February 21; and Little Richard: I Am Everything on February 28. These events are FREE with registration at this link: https://www.lfpl.org/bhfilms
Additionally, on February 19, Carmichael’s Bookstore (Frankfort Ave location) is holding a panel of authors Emma McElvaney Talbott, Michael L. Jones, and Ken Clay to discuss the books The Soulful Sounds of Derby Town, Two Centuries of Black Louisville, and Not Far from Freedom. All three of these texts examine Black History in Louisville and its vicinity, inviting participants to grow their understanding of the relationship between their hometown and the Black community. The discussion will be free with registration at this link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/black-history-month-celebration-tickets-1980024912815
Between February 2 and February 28, the Kentucky Historical Society will feature a tour entitled Highlighting Black History in Kentucky. This event goes through the contributions of Black Americans between Kentucky’s early history and the Civil Rights Movement.
Whether or not you attend any of these events, we encourage you to take time this month to reflect on both the barriers the Black community has faced in the United States and the invaluable contributions Black Americans have made to American culture, as understanding Black history is essential to understanding the history and culture of our country. JFCS appreciates Black History this month and every month.
Happy New Year! As 2025 comes to a close, JFCS is pausing to reflect on the challenges we’ve navigated, the milestones we’ve reached, and the impact we’ve made together over the past year.
Right from the get-go, 2025 was a year of both challenge and hope. In January, we launched a new pillar of service focused on immigrants and refugees. We have been committed to serving these populations since our inception, but with the ever-changing and often restrictive nature of immigrant rights in recent times, we’ve realized that we need to take extra effort to ensure immigrants and refugees have access to the services they deserve. JFCS took this time of challenge and fear as an opportunity to commit ourselves to the goal of assistance and relief.
We’d like to thank people like you for helping us achieve this goal! Our annual MOSAIC awards, which honor immigrants and refugees who have enriched Louisville’s community, helped to raise funds for serving immigrant populations. This awards event was attended in record numbers this past May. We received over $63,500 through our MOSAIC awards from generous community members; it is commendable to see the Louisville community demonstrating such concern for the important issues facing society today.
Themes of simultaneous challenge and hope arose once again at the beginning of November, when SNAP benefits were federally cut for a brief period. Our food pantry services, always a staple of JFCS, became a haven for an even greater number of people than usual. We temporarily loosened location-based and frequency-based restrictions to allow clients access to needed food products during this unusually trying time. In November alone, we gave out over 11,500 lbs. of food! Our assistance amidst SNAP cuts even made national news; JFCS’ Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry was highlighted by National Public Radio (NPR)!
Once again, we wouldn’t have been able to achieve this without your help. We received almost 9,000 lbs. of food donations from individuals and organizations during November! It would have been impossible to keep up with the demand during this difficult time without your help. The Louisville community has continued to prove itself deeply committed to communal well-being.
We’d be remiss not to acknowledge the bittersweet retirement of Director of Programs Mauri Malka, after over 30 years at JFCS. In honor of her, and the thousands of lives she touched over the years, we unveiled The Mauri Malka Fund for Independent Aging, an endowment fund that helps ensure that older adults can continue living independent, enjoyable lives. We are grateful for the many donations we received towards this fund from our community! Information on how to donate to this endowment is at the bottom of this blog.
We continued in 2025 to strive to honor our community’s commitment to JFCS and those we serve. Among the many things we’ve done to strengthen that commitment, in June, we renewed the Oral History Project interviewing over 20 adults from Louisville’s Jewish community and installed The Frank and Barbara Weisberg Family Fund for Jewish Oral History Display. This wall features photographs and quotes from various the interviews, ensuring that their insights and life experiences inspire generations to come.
We held four successful JFCS Community Chats compiling experts on various subjects to give insight into those issues. Our Seligman Series Night of Humor provided laughs, while our Year of Civil Discourse events gave the Jewish community opportunities to have serious, insightful discussions about pressing global issues.
A year as eventful as 2025 will inevitably be a roller coaster. But despite the challenges and stress we faced, we spent 2025 consistently impressed with the people around us. People like you appreciated us and contributed to our services through both good times and bad ones. Whatever is in store for us in 2026, we know we’ll face it with your help, and we’ll always be grateful for you. Happy New Year, and may we continue to help Louisvillians live with dignity and purpose throughout 2026!
If you’d like to further assist us through these times, we encourage you to make a donation by clicking here; by mail; or by contacting Courtney Evans at (502) 322-1928.