“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.
We find ourselves in a unique era in the ever-evolving human experience. The world’s aging population is now larger and more vibrant than ever before. Over the past 100 years, the average life expectancy has increased by 50 percent, allowing folks to live longer and creating new opportunities and challenges for the population as a whole.
We have a profound moral obligation to serve our older adults, and not just for their invaluable contributions to society. Our mothers and fathers; our grandparents and in some cases, our great-grandparents enrich our collective well-being. They have the “institutional knowledge,” if you will, and it is our duty to honor their lives and empower them to age with grace, dignity, and a continued sense of purpose.
The vision of Jewish Family & Career Services is that ALL live with dignity and purpose. Guided by our Jewish values, we serve EVERYONE, regardless of race, religion, gender identity, socio-economic background, and, of course, age.
Last year, the Klein Older Adult Program provided over 10,000 hours of home care to older adults and more than 950 rides to medical appointments, grocery shopping, banking, and other important errands. JFCS served 68 older adults who were victims of crime, and 191 received case management or counseling to help them cope with the challenges of aging.
JFCS has worked hard over the years to develop a wide range of support services for older adults that are comprehensive and recognize that their needs evolve over time. We also recognize that caregivers play a crucial role in that support system and that caregiving comes with a unique set of challenges. JFCS’s support groups and other services for caregivers highlight our commitment to supporting those who devote themselves to caring for older adults in our community.
“The well-being and dignity of older adults is one of JFCS’s core missions,” said Dr. David Finke, CEO. “Through the Klein Older Adult Program, we’re providing comprehensive and personalized care to ensure that every older adult we serve can age with the dignity, compassion, and the quality of life they deserve.”
In July, JFCS will join nonprofits across the country participating in the national Give65 Event – a 65-hour, online crowdfunding effort hosted by Home Instead Charities exclusively for organizations serving older adults. This is the first time JFCS has been part of Give65, but the program has raised and awarded more than $5 million in support of older adults in the United States since 2016.
Between 9 a.m., Tuesday, July 11, and 2:00 a.m., July 14, the community will be asked to go to www.give65.org, find JFCS in the list of eligible non-profits, and make a secure gift. JFCS is eligible for a matching gift from Give65. Donations made within that window will be matched dollar for dollar up to $5,000. All proceeds go to the Klein Older Adult Program.
For more information on the wide array of services offered through the Klein Older Adult Program, click here, or call (502) 452-6341.
There are times we all need support and care…JFCS is there for those times.