Expanding Our Roots in the Community
JFS is growing with the purchase of Altius Farms! In August, the organization officially added JFS Altius Farms to our family, and we’re excited to share a bit more about Altius and why we believe in the purchase.
Doing good in our community
If you’re looking for a way to commemorate a special occasion by giving back to your community or simply wanting to help those in need, you’re in luck! We’ve created three service project toolkits with everything you need to make getting involved in your community easy. We also have suggestions about other ways to get involved and make a difference to those who need a little extra support.
Five back to school tips for kids and parents
The long and not necessarily lazy days of summer break are coming to an end. While the start of the school year ushers in new beginnings that can be exciting, it can also be overwhelming. JFS KidSuccess Program Manager Amanda Carter offers suggestions about how to prepare for the academic year and ease into a new routine.
JFS Expands Reach with Acquisition of Altius Farms
JFS announces the acquisition of Altius Farms, a leading urban agricultural enterprise located in the Five Points/Curtis Park neighborhood in Denver. This acquisition reinforces JFS's dedication to serving the community and aligns with its mission of creating positive and lasting impacts on individuals and families.
Join JFS for a Family-Friendly Concert Experience
You don’t want to miss out on the opportunity to support the life-changing work of JFS at their family-friendly event—JFS Family Concert Experience\ featuring Ozomatli.
Closing the Skills Gap
Finding a job, learning a new skill, or developing exiting ones can feel daunting. Thanks to the new JFS Vocational Training program, practical learning opportunities and hands-on experience could be what you need to take your skills to the next level. Our new program supports personal skills growth with three different learning opportunities.
Are you ready to fight hunger?
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.
Ready to Work
Our JFS Job Fair was a success with job candidates who practiced their elevator pitches, had headshots taken for LinkedIn, learned about JFS programs and services, signed up for classes, and enjoyed lunch. Most important, however, was the opportunity for job seekers to apply and interview on-site for positions.
Volunteer Satisfaction Survey Results
Thanks to all of you who completed the annual volunteer satisfaction survey last month. Your feedback will help JFS to improve the volunteer service program and other programs. The survey is not one and done, of course. Please know that Volunteer Services wants to hear from you - both the challenges and the successes.
Meet our Volunteer of the Year
Since 2015, Eve Verderber has shared more than 728 hours of her time volunteering for JFS with her dedication to the Boulder Advisory Committee, Golden West Ambassador, and Friendly Visitor programs and holiday celebrations and the Reel Hope event. We are honored to announce Eve as this year’s JFS Boulder Volunteer of the Year Award recipient. Read about how Eve truly personifies the spirit of JFS.
Celebrating Our Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry
The Mobile Food and Hygiene Pantry travels 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.
Celebrating Pride
June is LGBTQ+ Pride Month and is dedicated to uniting our community, honoring diversity, and sparking awareness as we generate conversations around the issues our neighbors face. At JFS, we believe it is everyone’s responsibility to make the world a better place regardless of a person’s faith, race, age, income, ability, gender identity, or sexual orientation. Join us and celebrate Pride during month’s festivities!
Death, birth, and peace, a day with Rabbi Brody
In times of need, compassion and comfort help heal and bring peace. For JFS’s Rabbi Rick Brody, who leads the JFS Baskin Jewish Community Chaplaincy program, in a single day he experienced a first—being in the presence of one person who was dying and another human being who was just born. Rabbi Brody shared his reflections on these meaningful experiences.
Changing the narrative around aging
May is Older Americans Month, and this year’s theme is “Aging Unbound.” The awareness month is dedicated to exploring diverse aging experiences and providing an opportunity to discuss how communities can fight stereotypes, change thinking around aging, and how we all benefit when older adults remain engaged, independent, and included.
JFS KidSuccess: making sure youth have the support they need
We are currently in the middle of a mental health crisis, and it’s hitting youth hard. In the past year, 40% of youth experienced depression, and more than half reported feeling increased daily stress today compared to 2019. Colorado’s youth are 37% more likely to use drugs and 15% more likely to use alcohol than the average American youth. These statistics are alarming, and during National Mental Health Awareness Month, we want to share how JFS’s school-based mental health program, KidSuccess, is helping to combat this growing and concerning trend.
Older Adult Survey Offers a Snapshot of Needs
In different ways, the COVID-19 pandemic negatively affected all of us, but we also saw unexpected benefits. Throughout JFS, for example, we found new ways to connect with people throughout our community, identified ways to adjust our programs to be still able to help people, and became even more aware of the importance of meeting their needs. And, our Aging Care and Connections team continues to find ways to serve the older adult population better.
ACC and ACE: Cultivating Community Engagement
Lunch at the JCC is about more than enjoying a kosher meal. It’s about catching up with friends and making new ones. Now, thanks to JFS’s cross-departmental collaboration, our Congregant Meal program, which aims to reduce social isolation, takes a new twist to spark connections—and that goal is expanding in the best way!
Afraid to stay; scared to leave; excited to start over
For Sandra and her family, life in El Salvador was filled with terror. “Life was very complicated,” shared Sandra’s son-in-law, Moises. “Money was sparse. Getting ahead was really challenging, and when you did, they would take it away from you. Our days were very stressful and violent. We never knew if it would be safe when we left the house and if we would return home. It was dangerous to get basic needs—knowing if we went to the shops, we might die. To grow up like that was so hard, always living in fear.”
Start a Conversation About Inclusive Workplaces
Creating a culture where everyone feels valued, heard, respected, appreciated, comfortable, and welcomed is critical to building an inclusive workplace. Like most things, it starts with education, and our JFS employment specialists are ready to create opportunities for a conversation over lunch.
JFS Executive Luncheon
2023 Executive Luncheon featuring author Michael Lewis. A sharp observer of politics, finance, and the evolution of American culture, Michael Lewis combines keen insight with his signature wit, making him one of today’s leading social commentators.