Thanks to our generous community, more than 300 volunteers and staff sorted, boxed and organized about 25,000 pounds — more than 1,650 grocery bags — of food and toiletries during the 2017 Community-Wide Food Sort on October 1! Your donations will help feed and support around 1,300 households who turn to the JFS Polack Food Bank each month. Because of you,…
Coat Drive for Resettled Refugees
Imagine you had to flee your home because your family was under attack. Imagine that when you left, you’d be travelling to an unknown destination, for an uncertain period of time, and you’d be making the journey on foot. What would you carry with you? When JFS meets resettling refugees at the airport, they usually…
Placing Our Hearts
We are living in an era when attention spans are assumed to be 140 characters or less — two bits as my dad would say. That’s how much we are willing to “pay” for our attention. In Hebrew, “pay attention” is literally translated as, “place your heart.” Placing our hearts requires effort. It requires us…
Awareness Into Action
The convergence in September of the High Holidays and Hunger Action Month is one reason JFS holds its Community-Wide Food Drive in the fall. The response to the annual Food Drive is wonderful, and the donations help us address food insecurity in our community. But many people don’t realize the tons of food collected each…
Planting Seeds of Justice, Peace for DV Survivors This Sukkot
This October, Sukkot once again coincides with Domestic Violence Awareness Month. As many in the Jewish community celebrate in temporary sukkah structures, we ask you to remember those who do not feel safe in their own homes because of domestic violence. Domestic violence (DV) is a pattern of behavior used by one partner in a…
Learning How to Support a Loved One With a Mental Illness
Years ago, a boyfriend was diagnosed with bipolar disorder at nearly 18, and the last thing he was ready to do was acknowledge his diagnosis and need for treatment. While I wanted to be loving and supportive, I had little education on how to do this for someone with a mental illness. I felt alone…
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