By Mauri Malka, Senior Director of Programs I want to give you a snapshot of what Jewish Family & Career Services clients are experiencing as they navigate through these new and uncertain times. People are grieving — grieving the loss of social contact, grieving the loss of general safety, grieving the certainty they knew. Our job has been to help …
Heroes All Around Us
Dear Friends, That’s our JFCS staff, kicking off the work day together from kitchen tables, easy chairs and home offices across Greater Louisville. It’s one way we’re staying connected and supporting each other so that we can support the 367 households that are receiving one or more essential services from JFCS right now. The world feels shaky, but I’m …
Our Response to COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19/Coronavirus situation and in consideration of public health recommendations, Jewish Family & Career Services will close our offices Monday, March 16 – Friday, March 20. We will assess reopening on a week-by-week basis. Our dedicated staff will continue working remotely to meet current and increased community needs. JFCS is providing case management, coaching and counseling by …
Remembering and Bearing Witness
Last month, there was a fair bit of coverage marking International Holocaust Remembrance Day and the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau. Less attention has been given to the challenges elderly Holocaust survivors face today as a result of the trauma they endured as children. “Alexi” is one such survivor in our Louisville community. During World War II, before …
Announcing Our Food Pantry Expansion
JFCS is excited to announce the expansion of the Sonny & Janet Meyer Food Pantry, which has provided clients of the agency with food and personal care items since 2005. The expansion, with the support of a Dare to Care/CareSource Hunger Innovation Grant, will allow us to serve double the amount of people as the pantry is now open to …
Showing Love
My grandmother had many ways of showing love, but feeding us is the way I so often feel her presence in my life decades after her passing. When my grown sons come home, I ask, “What can I make you?” Food is a way I show love, too. Imagine yourself as a parent or grandparent who can’t ask the children …
Mental Health First Aid: Out of the Shadows
At Hanukkah, we are reminded that even during the darkest hours of the darkest
days, a single candle can pierce the night. Hidden things are illuminated.
Their power to frighten is dispelled when we are able to see clearly what’s in
front of us and name what was previously lurking in the shadows.
Far
too often, mental health continues to be that hidden thing.
Local Entrepreneurs Shine at the Logan Street Market
The Jewish Family & Career Services and Kentucky Refugee Ministries Artisan Shop opened for business on October 5, as part of the Logan Street Market grand opening. Located in the Shelby Park neighborhood near downtown, the market serves as a gathering space for community members to learn, grow and connect. And in that bustling community space, six JFCS clients are …
Family Strengthening Supports Stability for Children
Family Strengthening services help people navigate life’s changes and challenges through a client-centered, case management approach. When vulnerable parents get the help they need to stand on more solid ground, their children do, too. Our Family Strengthening services are customized to help each family meet their self-identified goals and may include: asset building, budget development, career coaching and counseling, family …
Self-Care and Support for Caregivers
Every day at Jewish Family & Career Services, I witness the power of a simple but profound idea: we are not alone. Life’s trials impact us in different ways, but at JFCS, people from every background and age, every orientation and origin can find support. They discover strength in the community of others who face common challenges and recognize that …