Over the course of the past year, many of our clients went through a career transition, became the full-time caregiver of a loved one or began experiencing anxiety and stress unlike before. Along the way, JFCS was there to help them.
With the generous support of community members and loyal donors, like you, we were able to provide:
- Mental health counseling for more than 150 individuals and families, including 92 seniors and 61 children
- 78,735 pounds of essential food and personal care items to clients and their families
- 2,770 wellness and companionship telephone calls to isolated adults
- 500 rides to people in need of affordable and convenient transportation for medical and personal appointments as well as general errands
- 276 hours of business advisement and coaching to new and aspiring entrepreneurs seeking economic self-sufficiency
Jewish Family & Career Services has been expanding possibilities for individuals and families in the Greater Louisville community for 113 years. As in 2020, events of 2021 have continued to test us, and our clients need us now more than ever. With your ongoing support, we will continue to be there for them.
By making a gift today, you join us in expanding possibilities for each person and every family to meet life’s challenges with confidence. Before December 31, we invite you to make a gift online or by mail in support of JFCS as a part of our end of year campaign. Together, we can achieve our vision of a Greater Louisville in which all live with dignity and purpose.
Make a greater impact by setting up a monthly, recurring donation! Select “recurring donation” when making your gift online or contact us at advancement@jfcslouisville.org today to learn more.
Earlier in 2021, JFCS relaunched the Marjorie & Robert Kohn Pledge 13 Program. Through the program, JFCS offers bar and bat mitzvah students an opportunity to participate in meaningful service projects, allowing them to live our their Jewish values, as part of the preparation leading up to their bar/bat mitzvah celebration. Students can participate in a number of activities and are encouraged to select projects that hold special meaning or interest to them.
One student, Nora, expressed an interest in conservation and the environment and is currently volunteering every week at the Louisville Nature Center. The Center, which aims to teach people about the natural world and provide a place where people can enjoy nature, gives her an opportunity to participate in hands-on projects that connect to her interest in conservation. Right now she is helping maintain the grounds of a new play area and along the walking trails and, soon, she will help to spread mulch. The Louisville Nature Center has weekend opportunities that can be completed independently when the building is closed as well as after-school projects making it easy for our Pledge 13 students to find an opportunity that meets their scheduling needs.
Two other students, twins Ari and Kate, saw their older siblings volunteer at New Roots for their Pledge 13 projects and decided to follow suit. They volunteer at the Fresh Stop Market packing and distributing produce to the shareholders. Ari said that he likes volunteering there because “there’s a lack of fresh food and New Roots helps people get it.”
If you know someone interested in completing service hours in advance of their B’nai mitzvah celebration, we would love to hear from you! Contact us at volunteer@jfcslouisville.org to learn more about the Marjorie & Robert Kohn Pledge 13 Program today!
Thanks to you – our generous donors and community partners – JFCS is excited to announce that our 2021 Feeding Families Food Drive was a huge success!
From Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, we invited our community to join us in addressing hunger in Louisville by donating food and personal care items or by making a monetary gift in support of the JFCS Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry. This year we raised $22,000 in support of the Food Pantry from our generous donors, from community members through the Community Foundation of Louisville’s Give For Good campaign and from our long-time partner, Republic Bank!
Last year, JFCS distributed 78,735 pounds of food and personal care items through the Food Pantry to clients and their families – including more than 300 children and almost 100 seniors – who experienced hunger and food insecurity first-hand. As we grapple with the ongoing pandemic and as our clients and their families face new challenges as a result, JFCS continues to help them expand their possibilities by providing access to high-quality, nutritious foods and essential personal care items.
With the $22,000 donated in this year’s Feeding Families Food Drive, JFCS will be able to distribute approximately 13,000 pounds of additional food – or almost 11,000 meals – to our clients, their families and local community members in need.
THANK YOU for helping us continue meeting the needs of families, seniors and children who face hunger in our community!
Jewish Family & Career Services is excited to announce the appointment of new board members Carly Geer Mason and Judge Derwin Webb.
Carly Geer Mason is a Louisville native whose career began in public relations with clients from the hospitality, consumer goods brands, and technology sectors. In 2020, she launched her own firm focusing on public relations, brand consulting, social media consulting and management. Carly is passionate about social justice activities and engaging with young adults in the community. Carly has been married to her husband Danny for nearly 6-years and they recently welcomed their first child.
Judge Derwin L. Webb is the first African American male Family Court Judge in the history of the Commonwealth of Kentucky. A first-generation attorney, he has lived in Louisville for more than twenty-five years. A former standout Basketball player and UofL Brandeis Law School graduate, Derwin has represented the interests of several defendants in high-profile cases, fighting for the rights of individuals as private counsel and as a public defender. After Representing clients for close to twenty years, he was appointed to preside over the Jefferson County Circuit Court, Family Division 10.
Special thanks to our returning JFCS Board of Directors members for their ongoing service! Board members continuing their terms include Vas Abramov, Pam Alaimo, Corey Buckman, Ed Cohen (Vice President), Salli Coleman, Jim Ensign (At-Large Member), Mike Fine (Board President), Michael Gold, Ayala Golding, Jordan Green (Treasurer), Micah Jorrisch, Dr. Lisa Klein, David Kohn, Betsy Prussian, Mark Roth, Corey Shapiro, Linda Shapiro (At-Large Member), Robin Stratton (Immediate Past President) and Helene Trager-Kusman (Vice President).