Because…All of Israel is responsible for one another
Because…a caring community takes care of its most vulnerable
A child wakes up and immediately starts wondering where he will sleep tonight. Will he have any meals today? Will he go to school?
An 81 year old woman sits alone at her kitchen table. She has not seen nor spoken to another individual in a week.
A family of four visits Miriam’s Well to receive groceries and grocery gift cards. Their car is not insured, nor has it been maintained in over a year.
Vulnerable children, isolated seniors, food insecurity and poverty. These are but three examples of the challenges that Jewish Calgarians face every day. Jewish Family Service Calgary (JFSC) is proud to be the organization funded by Calgary Jewish Federation to maintain a strong social safety net for those living in underprivileged situations. JFSC is our community’s response to those requiring social support with basic needs such as food and shelter. Guiding our work are the Jewish values of compassion and social justice.
JFSC reaches out to the aging, feeds the poor and strives to secure shelter for those in need within the Jewish community and the community at large. Our dedicated staff and volunteers are able to fulfill our mission with the generous support of our community through the United Jewish Appeal (UJA), which is one of our largest donors. We are pleased to be a recipient of UJA funding, as this partnership enables us to care for our indigent, our sick and our poor as the Torah commands us.
Last year JFSC provided direct service and supports to approximately 900 persons and families. The organization provides English as a Second Language (ESL) programs to older immigrants. We engage our seniors with a community choir and sponsor outings and field trips. Staff support seniors in isolation and help survivors navigate the complexities of the Conference on Jewish Material Claims against Germany. We[j1] help settle new immigrants. JFSC’s Shalom Bayit program is dedicated to providing services to Jewish families suffering domestic violence. At any one time, a dozen families and/or individuals are in this program receiving counselling services, legal assistance and basic needs (shelter and food). JFSC registered psychologists and social workers provide counselling services to persons struggling with mental illness. These programs are not possible without UJA dollars.
Our statistics reveal that 800 members of our Jewish Community are living in poverty of which 400 are living in extreme poverty. Unfortunately our “business” is growing given our current provincial economy and will continue to grow as our population ages.
Calgary has a vibrant Jewish community because of the generous caring and giving of individuals and businesses. We at Jewish Family Service Calgary strive to help the vulnerable in our community become self- reliant and engaged. We do so with dignity and respect. We are confident that we will be able to meet the challenges of supporting those in need within our community because you care and you support UJA.
When called upon by the dedicated volunteers of the UJA please consider the members of our community that need our assistance.
Thank you for your support.
Stan Mayer, President
Marty Hornstein, Executive Director
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