Voices of JFS: Cathy Summer and Steve Ellis

Cathy Summer and Steve Ellis are longtime supporters of JFS, both personally and through Steve’s company, Colorado Capital Management. We talked to them to learn more about their involvement and why they continue to give to JFS.

JFS: When did you first become involved with Jewish Family Service (JFS)? 

Cathy: I joined the JFS Boulder staff as a care manager in 2010 and went on to lead the Boulder office until 2018. I have continued to co-facilitate a JFS-sponsored grief group and to take on occasional special projects for the agency. I am currently assisting JFS Boulder with the coordination of mental health services and programs for those impacted by the recent Marshall Fire.

Steve: I was an active member of the JFS Boulder advisory committee for several years during Cathy’s tenure with the organization.  

JFS: What prompted you to first get involved with the organization?

Cathy: I was strongly drawn to JFS as an opportunity to combine my professional life as a social worker with my personal life as an active member of the Jewish community in Boulder and Denver.

Steve: Cathy’s passion for this work and the meaningful impact of the organization soon pulled me into the JFS orbit as well. I signed on as a volunteer and Colorado Capital Management was happy to become a financial supporter. 

JFS: Why do you support JFS (personally and through Colorado Capital Management) when there are so many places to support? 

Cathy: We have witnessed first-hand the positive impact that JFS has on the lives of so many members of our community—including older and vulnerable adults, fire and flood victims, those dealing with loneliness and grief, and so much more. We feel that it is incumbent upon us to personally support this work.

Steve: My firm, Colorado Capital Management, has been a proud sponsor of practically every major JFS Boulder event for more than a decade. Colorado Capital Management is a public benefit corporation committed to giving back to the community. The principals of the firm have taken on volunteer leadership positions in the Boulder area for many years and are delighted to provide meaningful financial support to highly respected and worthwhile nonprofits like JFS. 

JFS: Do you have a favorite memory or story from an event or other involvement to share? 

Cathy: My favorite memories are too many to count. But they all have one thing in common; they are all stories of an individual or family in need who came to JFS for assistance. They could be a homebound adult with disabilities, a husband caring for his wife with dementia, a Holocaust survivor who is depressed and isolated, a grieving spouse, a young family of four who lost everything in the 2013 flood, or one of 1,000 households who lost everything to the recent Marshall Fire. To witness first-hand the impact that JFS has had on so many people in Boulder County over the past decade has been an honor and a privilege.

Steve: My favorite memory has to do with a collaboration between JFS Boulder and the Boulder JCC. These organizations have enjoyed a close working relationship over the years and collaborated on many events. JFS and the JCC (along with Colorado Capital Management) often co-sponsored major programs and events. At one such event, the Boulder Jewish Film Festival, there was a film about a Jewish American basketball player named Tal Brody who helped lead the Israeli Maccabi team to international prominence. The film was aptly titled “On the Map.” JFS Boulder is also “on the map” and I am proud to have been involved with this life-changing organization. 

JFS: Anything else you would like to share?

Cathy and Steve: We are both proud to support JFS personally and through Colorado Capital Management. We recognize the incredible value and impact of JFS’s work and are delighted to be associated with this organization and all that it stands for. 

Have a story to share about your involvement with JFS? Share it now!