Family Matters Summer 2023

FamilyMatters

Celebrating Our Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry

On May 31, JFS leadership, Board members, supporters, and the media came together to celebrate the unveiling of our new state-of-the-art Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry.

Guests:

• Listened to remarks from Linda P. Foster, JFS President and CEO and Diane Cushman Neal, President and Founder of Donations for Dignity.

• Learned how JFS food support programs help combat hunger wherever it exists.

• Toured the pantry and saw firsthand how JFS addresses hunger and essential needs throughout our community.

The Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry will travel to Denver neighborhoods and housing complexes with high percentages of food insecurity and community and recreation centers to bring healthy, fresh, and culturally relevant foods and hygiene items to these areas.

“We know that removing transportation barriers ensures families experiencing food insecurity continue to have access to nutritious food and hygiene products along with information about the programs and services JFS provides,” shared JFS Chief Advancement Officer Jessica Zeidman. “The Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry will reach people who can’t get to the grocery stores or the Weinberg Food Pantry, and we are so thankful for the generous support from passionate JFS donors Diane Cushman Neal and Scott Neal to help make this happen.”

You can support the Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry and other JFS food programs at jewishfamilyservice.org/food-support

Dear Friends,

Tzedakah is the obligation to do what is right and just for those in need. This belief is a Jewish value as well as a universal human value we can all practice. This JFS guiding principle is central to making our community and our world a better place. Not a day goes by when I don’t see goodwill, compassion, and generosity demonstrated throughout JFS and beyond.

In this issue, you’ll learn about one of the biggest community needs and how JFS is doing more to help. So, what is that need? It’s probably no surprise that we are seeing an unprecedented demand for food and other necessities at our Mobile Food Pantry and the Weinberg Food Pantry. Due to inflation and rising costs for food, gas, and also the reduction in COVID-induced SNAP benefits, our pantries are seeing nearly 2,000 households and 200 new households on average each month. The amount of food insecurity that our clients are experiencing is staggering.

We are meeting the needs where they exist, but we can’t address them alone. I hope you feel inspired to help when you read about our food appeal and the new state-ofthe-art mobile food and hygiene pantry. Together, we can break barriers and combat food insecurity.

When you read this newsletter, I hope you learn something new, feel connected to JFS, and are inspired to practice Tzedakah along with us. We cannot do what we do without your support and are so thankful for you today and always.

With warm regards,

JFS AND HABITAT FOR HUMANITY METRO DENVER NEED YOUR DONATIONS

Habitat for Humanity Metro Denver will take direct donations of high-quality new and gently loved furniture, kitchen supplies, home goods, bedding, and more. They’ll even accept appliances in working condition and those in need of repair. In return for donations, JFS will receive credit for those items to use when shopping for goods to set up new homes for our clients.

Not only will you make a difference in someone’s life, but you’ll also receive a tax write-off for your generosity. Learn more at jewishfamilyservice.org/furniture-donation

The Book is Closed on the JFS Executive Luncheon

The Sheraton Downtown Denver Hotel was the place to be on April 28 for the JFS Executive Luncheon!

The Denver philanthropic community gathered to learn more about JFS, enjoy lunch, celebrate a presentation of the Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck Community Leadership Award to Rose Community Foundation, and listen to a moderated conversation between renowned financial journalist and New York Times best-selling author Michael Lewis and Jonathan Alter, political analyst, documentary filmmaker, columnist, television producer, and radio host.

Guests learned about the latest book Lewis is writing around the collapse of crypto king Sam Bankman-Fried and his FTX empire, along with their months spent together. Lewis also shared stories about growing up in

New Orleans, how he continues to help the city recover after Hurricane Katrina, his transition from graduating from Princeton University as an art history major to becoming a writer, and his thoughts about his books becoming movies.

Sponsorships, ticket purchases, and donations at the event will help JFS invest in solutions to some of our biggest needs, such as providing food and other necessities to families facing food insecurity, strengthening our school-based mental health program, KidSuccess, and so much more. If you were able to join us, thank you! A special thank you to those who contributed to the generous match opportunity.

See photos from the JFS Executive Luncheon at jewishfamilyservice.org/event/photo-galleries

Don’t Miss the JFS Family Concert Experience

Guests of all ages will enjoy complimentary specialty food and drinks, an open bar, learn about JFS’s programs and services, and participate in fun games and activities before being immersed in the lively sounds of Ozomatli.

We’re excited to share that tickets are on sale now for our family-friendly event, the JFS Family Concert Experience, co-chaired by Amanda and Jonathan Alpert, Jenny and Don Strasburg, and Stephanie and Sam Zaitz and featuring Grammy-winning artist Ozomatli.

Join us on Sunday, August 27 at 2 p.m. at Mission Ballroom and help JFS, one of Colorado’s largest and most impactful human services agencies, continue to make the greatest impact for the greater good throughout our community.

Closing the Skills Gap

For those hoping to find a new job, learn a new skill, or gain practical learning opportunities and hands-on experience, the new JFS vocational training program is ready to take proficiencies to the next level. Our new career development program supports personal skills growth with three different learning opportunities, including administrative and customer service, AutoCAD design (computer-aided design), and foundations of digital literacy.

In the Administrative and Customer Service course, participants learn the skills needed to be a qualified administrative assistant with excellent customer service abilities. At the end of the program, participants will earn a Professional Administrative Certificate of Excellence , demonstrating depth of knowledge in transferrable job skills employers desire.

The AutoCAD Design course prepares participants to enter the exciting world of 2D and 3D design and earn an Autodesk Certified Associate certification as an AutoCAD user.

Ozomatli’s music is as multifaceted as its members and influences. Meeting as young political activists and musicians, the original band formed in Los Angeles in 1995 to play a notorious urban-Latino-and-beyond collision of hip hop and salsa, dancehall and cumbia, samba and funk, merengue and comparsa, East LA R&B and New Orleans second line, Jamaican ragga and Indian raga—all while following a key mantra: it will take you around the world by taking you around Los Angeles. Their music has been recognized and celebrated widely, having won four Grammy Awards and serving as official U.S. Cultural Ambassadors playing to audiences around the world.

Learn more about the JFS Family Concert Experience at jewishfamilyservice.org/family-concert.

Technology skills are necessary to be successful in today’s job market. In the Foundations of Digital Literacy course, participants will learn basic computer and internet skills, email systems, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, and how to use Google Drive, Docs, Slides, and Sheets. Students will earn a Northstar Digital Literacy certification.

All programs include career-readiness classes and job search and resume assistance.

Space is limited for all classes to provide the best learning atmosphere. Interested in a class? Get started at jewishfamilyservice.org/training-interest or contact Gloria Padilla at gpadilla@jewishfamilyservice.org or 720.986.0019 and be the first to learn about availability.

Learn more about the vocational training program at jewishfamilyservice.org/vocational-training

Are You Ready to Fight Hunger?

EACH MONTH:

1,309 households rely on our Weinberg Food Pantry.

684 households come to our Mobile Food Pantry.

166 new households visit our Weinberg Food Pantry.

93

older adults receive delivered food.

At the Weinberg Food Pantry, our food-insecure neighbors shop with dignity to choose healthy, nutritious food like fresh fruits and vegetables, bread, eggs, dairy products, canned goods, and essential hygiene items.

Our Mobile Food Pantry brings healthy, fresh, and culturally relevant foods to neighborhoods and housing complexes with high percentages of food insecurity and to community and recreation centers to reach those with transportation barriers.

Our Lunchbox Express mobile food delivery system feeds hungry children during the summer when they don’t have access to free or reduced-fee lunches in their schools.

Homebound older adults receive healthy, wellbalanced meals delivered right to their doorsteps through our Kosher Meals on Wheels and food box delivery programs.

Older adults gather, catch up, stay active, and make connections in our community while enjoying hot Kosher Lunches at the Denver JCC.

Numbers don’t lie. They share a story of what thousands of our neighbors face each day. Their reality includes the following:

• Struggling to pay bills and put food on their tables.

• Going hungry to pay for life-saving medicine.

• Facing transportation barriers to receiving nourishing meals.

The amount of food insecurity we’re seeing is staggering and continues to grow. Due to the reduction in SNAP benefits, inflation, and rising costs for food, gas, and other essential items, there is an unprecedented demand for food and other necessities.

Together, we can combat hunger wherever it exists— for those who visit our Weinberg Food Pantry, travel to one of our mobile pantry sites, or receive meals at home or in community settings—and help meet the needs where they exist.

Join us today and invest in a community where no one goes hungry. Please donate to our JFS food programs at jewishfamilyservice.org/food-support.

Sharing Gratitude

It’s heartwarming when a client reaches out to JFS to thank us for the services and help they’ve received. In turn, we’re grateful for our supporters who help make this a reality. We can help our neighbors in need because of your dedication.

We received the following note from a Boulder client and wanted to share it because you deserve thanks, as well:

I heard about JFS from a skincare client. Unfortunately, I was having a truly outwardly rough day at work, and it was very unprofessional, but I was crying a bit during her service. I just couldn’t control it. The financial pressure for me has been so great since COVID-19, and losing almost half of my business, and it just came out. This kind woman asked if I had heard of JFS and said they might be able to help me get back on my feet. She gave me a JFS contact number.

I received rental help from JFS as this was the biggest pressing necessity.

I have mainly interacted via email with Stuart, who has been incredibly nice, efficient, and encouraging. He provided potential job information so I could work a second job to try to get on top of this transition for my daughter and me. Melissa also wrote to me to follow up, which I greatly appreciated. Jenny was very patient and kind, as well. So, everyone I have dealt with has been nothing but compassionate and non-judgmental. If I had not received rental help, I truly don’t know what my situation would be currently. I work by commission, appointment only, and it’s very difficult to keep my head above water every month.

The problem is I have been doing esthetics for 20 years, so this is my craft and my passion, but times are changing, and people do not have the money to pay for ‘unnecessary’ things that are seen as vanity, such as skincare, but it’s so much more. It is connected to a person’s well-being and soul, and it allows them to get some TLC and gives them strength sometimes to keep pushing forward, which I strongly identify with. The amount of stress on me for providing, much like other single-parent families, is so great. Daily, I try my best to be a good and present mom while providing, and it’s hard. So, having a little relief from strangers willing to invest in our future just makes me very emotional and grateful. I just feel like it’s hard to stay up, you know, and small gifts like rental help really have exponential value because they provide hope.

I just want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart— for caring about another human being who is doing the best they can and just needs some help right now.

“ I TRY MY BEST TO BE A GOOD AND PRESENT MOM WHILE PROVIDING, AND IT’S HARD. SO, HAVING A LITTLE RELIEF FROM STRANGERS WILLING TO INVEST IN OUR FUTURE JUST MAKES ME VERY EMOTIONAL AND GRATEFUL.”

Get to Know JFS Board Chair Aaron Hyatt

Aaron Hyatt is a Shareholder at Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck and the former chair of the firm’s Real Estate Department. His work covers the life cycle of complex and high-profile real estate transactions: acquisition, due diligence, financing, development, leasing and disposition of real estate across the asset class, including apartment, office, industrial, hotel, retail, casino and mixed-use.

In 2015, Aaron was named a 40 Under 40 honoree by the Denver Business Journal. He previously served as a Board member at the Colorado Agency for Jewish Education, and he is Chair Emeritus of the Board of Directors of Mental Health Colorado. Aaron is the recipient of the Yana Vishnitsky Leadership Award, presented at the 2019 Faces of JFS event.

Aaron’s leadership as JFS Board Chair guides the organization in short- and long-term objectives. We asked him to share his thoughts about JFS’s last fiscal year (FY23) and what’s to come.

Q: Thinking back on FY23, was there anything that surprised you?

A: I continue to be surprised about the growing demand for the organization’s services, which reflects the many challenges that our community faces. The exponential growth in demand for our food pantry services that we experienced in FY23 is just one example of how JFS is on the front lines of some of today’s most vexing issues: inflation, housing affordability, and wealth inequalities.

Q: When you reflect on the last year, what are you most proud of that the Board addressed?

A: Without question, I am most proud of the Board’s investment in the FY23 budget, which included the organization’s equity adjustments for staff compensation. These equity adjustments represented the Board’s investment in and commitment to the organization’s most important assets: The staff of JFS, who, through their dedication, passion, and hard work, ensure that each day JFS operates to its highest potential.

Q: Looking ahead to the coming fiscal year, what are you most excited to address with the Board?

A: I am always excited about the future of JFS because its legacy has created a foundation upon which the organization can continue to be a cornerstone in our community. For FY24, I am especially excited to develop a new strategic plan for JFS. The strategic planning process will allow us to reflect on 150 years of community impact and what we need to do to ensure that JFS remains one of our community’s premier human services organizations.

Q: Speaking of JFS’s next strategic plan, can you share a bit about the process, timeline?

A: The strategic planning process officially kicked off at the Board’s May retreat, and an ad hoc strategic planning committee has been formed to govern the process, which includes soliciting feedback from all our stakeholders— Board members, staff, volunteers, clients, donors, and community and government partners. We hope to conclude our process by the end of 2023.

Q: Is there anything else you want to share about JFS, the Board, or your involvement?

A: My work with JFS is the most fulfilling part of my professional work. It is an honor to serve with the Board and staff of JFS as we advance the organization’s important mission: Improving the lives of individuals and families in need throughout Colorado by taking an integrated approach to delivering comprehensive support services.

Jewish Family Service of Colorado

Joyce and Kal Zeff Building

3201 South Tamarac Drive

Denver CO 80231-4360

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

Social services for Jewish victims of the Holocaust have been supported by a grant from The Conference on Jewish Material Claims Against Germany.

Give Hope and Inspire.

If you participated in a program, supported JFS, or benefitted from a service, we want to hear from you! Stories and experiences inspire and encourage others to get involved with the organization. Articles can be written anonymously with identifying details changed, so your privacy is as protected as you want.

There is power in storytelling, and your story can make a difference. To get started, visit jewishfamilyservice.org/media-news/share-story.