JFS Perspectives

Although Passover officially starts tonight, we feel like it's been going on for weeks around our office. Through the Community Passover Program, Jewish Family Service and the Synagogue Council of Greater Denver provide families in need with all the kosher-for-Passover items they need to prepare a Seder. We start the process of getting things ready for this program many months in advance, including collecting food and monetary donations from the community.

Unloading donations from La Vie Catering.

Our community really came together again this year to support this program! We’re happy to report that, with your help, we raised more than $5,200. In addition to the money we received, many community members generously contributed Passover food, and Grand Hyatt Denver, La Vie Catering, and Rocky Mountain Spice Company collectively donated more than 1,700 pounds of apples, potatoes, carrots, onions, walnuts, and cinnamon.


Loading donations from Grand Hyatt Denver onto the JFS truck.

This project also couldn't be a success without the help of our volunteers. Last week, about 10 people came to pack the Passover boxes and make sure everything was organized for distribution day.


Nancy Benyamin and Rivka Miriam Reiffman.

One of these volunteers, 12-year-old Rivka Miriam Reiffman, a student at Denver Academy of Torah who is preparing for her Bat Mitzvah, organized a group of six classmates to help out on this day. "I was so impressed with Rivka Miriam for the way she handled herself during her mitzvah project," said Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer services. "She initiated the phone calls to get the project started and coordinated all the details with her friends and me every step of the way. I couldn't be happier with the way it all turned out!"


The volunteers from Denver Academy of Torah.

This Monday, with the help of more volunteers, we distributed kosher-for-Passover food to 167 individuals from 60 households. A handful of volunteers worked in the pantry while 10 others delivered the boxes to homebound clients who couldn't pick them up from the pantry. Thank you to our Family Safety Net program staff for working hard to make the day go smoothly and to ensure we could help everyone celebrate the holiday!


Volunteers working hard on Passover distribution day.

And if that's not enough, over the next couple weeks, our volunteer para-chaplains are helping isolated seniors celebrate Passover for conducting Seders in 20 retirement communities and nursing homes in Denver and Boulder.

Last, but not least, when Passover is over on April 14th, how delicious will fresh pita bread taste after a week of eating matzah? Give yourself a break from cooking and eat at Garbanzo Mediterranean Grill while supporting JFS! See what we're talking about...

Phew, that's a lot of Passover! We hope we enjoy the holiday...and for all you non-Jews out there, happy Easter or anything else you may be celebrating this weekend!!!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Last month we told you we needed to raise $7,000 to provide Passover food to families served by the Weinberg Food Pantry. In our last Passover post, we showed you how hard our Family Safety Net staff worked to find the best prices and Kosher for Passover food.



We're happy to report that, with your help, we raised $8,000 and provided Passover food to 178 individuals! In addition to the money we received, several businesses generously donated food such as produce, eggs, and cinnamon.



Thank you to our many volunteers who helped pack, distribute, and deliver the meals! We had groups from several religious schools and youth groups, as well as families and individuals who helped us out on two different days last week.



We're proud of the community for coming together in this effort and we can't thank you enough!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department

Many of you received the email we sent out this week about raising money for our Passover program. We are trying to raise $7,000 to provide kosher Passover Seder meals for 75 families through the Weinberg Food Pantry.

The boxes that the clients will receive include a kosher chicken as well as other necessary items such as matzo, matzo meal, gefilte fish, borscht, candles, eggs, and fresh produce. We all know how expensive kosher food can be and have noticed how much the prices of food are rising!

So, our Family Safety Net Administrative Assistant Shelley Kolman has been doing her research over the last year to find the best prices for us to purchase these items! She has spent countless hours on the phone with various stores and vendors and watching the sale ads to procure all the items in time for Passover. Lucky for us, Shelley's husband is a banquet chef and has lots of connections in the food industry! He is even helping us obtain kosher chickens from H&M meats in Rifle. King Soopers at Monaco and Hampden (right down the street from us) generously agreed to give us sale prices to purchase the rest of the kosher items. Thank you, King Soopers!



We still have to pay for all this food! That's where you come in...please donate online today and indicate "Holiday Food" in the "Tribute Text" section or mail your check by April 10th to JFS, 3201 South Tamarac Drive, Denver, CO 80231, with "Holiday Food" in the memo line.

Thanks in advance for all your support to bring Passover to families in our community!

-Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department