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…
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…
A Refugee Returns to His Professional Path
A poster of blue skies above Kent lay across Meqdam “Mike” Almaroof’s desk on his first day of work with the city. He can recall the exact date — Aug. 15, 2016 — from memory and still has the poster that welcomed him to the team and exclaimed, “We’re happy you are here!” Almaroof was…
Food Banks & SNAP Bring Health to the Table
Jean* knows the exact cost of fresh vegetables, bread and coffee. The 69-year-old, lifelong Seattle resident knows when and where to get the best deals that will stretch her limited income. And she also knows most healthy, quality foods aren’t affordable for her without assistance from both local food banks and the federal Supplemental Nutrition…
Celebrate the Home Runs
“The home run today doesn’t win the ballgame tomorrow,” my dad would say when he felt I needed perspective or a dose of humility. I believe in that saying — to some degree. But I also believe that celebration, tempered with humility, is just as necessary. This year has been rough. Our clients continue to…
LGBT Refugee Couple Risks All for Love
When you ask Fatimah* and Sanaz* how they first met, they give the expected response for millennials in love — online. But for these 30-year-old women, only their introduction hews to the expected. They started chatting eight years ago on an Arabic-language social media site called Dagged. Sanaz was living in Turkey with her parents….
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