Embassy Suites to Become Family Shelter
Denver Mayor Mike Johnston and his House1000 initiative have selected a location in Council District 4 that neighbors Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) to serve as temporary housing location for families with children experiencing homelessness. The City of Denver is in negotiations to purchase the Embassy Suites Hotel at 7525 E. Hampden Avenue to serve as a family shelter and will contract with the Salvation Army to provide a range of on-site services. While JFS is in communications about the plans, the agency was not involved in any discussions about the location, timing, or logistics.
Toda Rabah (“many thanks!”) to our High Holiday and Thanksgiving volunteers
Not a day goes by without our JFS volunteers making a difference throughout the Boulder area. Their impact is especially significant during times such as the High Holidays and Thanksgiving when our older adult neighbors may need a reminder that being a part of a community means that people come together to show they care.
Hanukkah 2023: Celebrating light and hope in uncertain times
ewish Family Service celebrated Hanukkah with community members at 11 older adult communities in Boulder County this year. Volunteers, local rabbis, Boulder Jewish Family Service staff members, and facility staff worked together to put on a full celebration complete with candles, songs, latkes, sufganiyot (jelly doughnuts), and plenty of schmoozing.
Thank you for joining us at the JFS Boulder State of the Agency
JFS Boulder State of the Agency guests enjoyed an evening gathering with friends, learning about JFS, meeting new team members, and hearing program updates from JFS President and CEO Linda P. Foster and JFS Boulder Associate Director Melissa Mascarenas. Our supporters’ continued dedication to JFS Boulder makes a life-changing difference to the individuals and families who come to us to rebuild their lives. We could not make a collective impact without your support!
JFS Boulder introduces our new community engagement liaison: Tina Kantor
Our Boulder team is expanding with the creation of our new community engagement liaison position! Tina Kantor recently joined the JFS staff in this role, which is geared toward meeting the Boulder community’s needs and expanding our impact with new and renewed collaborations, partnerships, and outreach.
Accepting new clients for mental health services
Mental health includes our emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It is an essential part of overall health that must be prioritized and addressed. It directly impacts the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of ourselves, children, families, and communities. Whether you’re struggling with a major career decision, have depression or anxiety, trauma, or want to improve your coping skills, our mental health team is here to help.
JFS is accepting new clients for our Friendly Visitor program
For many older adults, social isolation is an unfortunate reality. Whether an individual no longer drives, is less physically active, or has family out of town, many variables can contribute to maintaining friendships and interests. The Friendly Visitor program is here to help, and right now, we are welcoming new clients.
JFS celebrates National Apprenticeship Week
JFS is nearly one year into its Registered Apprenticeship Program, which began with two full-time, paid apprentices. Apprenticeship programs are instrumental in helping employers recruit and develop a skilled workforce to support their business.
ReelAbilities Film Festival
ReelAbilities International Film Festival is dedicated to promoting and celebrating awareness and appreciation of the lives, stories, and artistic expressions of people with disabilities. The festival brings people together to engage in stimulating conversations around inclusion, access, and justice, leveraging the power of cinema and cultural engagement to challenge the status quo and build a more inclusive and equitable world.
Bright Holidays
You can bring light and joy to those we serve by participating in this year’s Bright Holidays program. Sponsor an individual or family’s personal wish list, donate gift cards or make a monetary donation to the program.
Altius Farms Celebrates Five Year Anniversary
Five years ago, on October 24, 2018, Altius Farms opened its doors and later made its first sale of arugula to a then-restaurant partner. Fast forward to today, and the farm, now part of the JFS family, continues its work to provide sustainably grown greens year-round to the Denver community – keeping tradition with its first sale on October 24, 2023, being - you guessed it - arugula to restaurant partners and friends at Table 6.
It’s not too late to make an impact in 2023
Why not close out the year by participating in something meaningful? JFS has several donation opportunities; we’re positive that one will resonate with you. You can support us and make the greatest impact for the greater good when you help our clients enjoy Thanksgiving meals, receive holiday presents, or make a donation for Colorado Gives Day or during our year-end campaign.
Vocational training kick starts career
For those hoping to find a new job, learn a new skill, or gain practical learning opportunities and hands-on experience, our JFS vocational training program is ready to take proficiencies to the next level. For one Digital Literacy student she not only learned new skills to support her current job responsibilities, her confidence grew along with her accomplishments.
Abby’s Impact: Strengthening participants’ sense of self
For those who believe focusing on themselves is selfish, we need to change that mindset and realize that doing so allows us to be present, build confidence, strengthen our relationships, learn about our values and prioritize them to make the right choices for us. Enter the JFS Abby’s Impact: Realizing Resilience program. This client-centered mental health education program provides a framework for dealing with daily stress and life’s struggles.
JFS Altius Farms Recipes
Looking for suggestions on how to use those sustainably grown, fresh greens from JFS Altius Farms? We’ve got you covered. Each week, we cook up something special using delicious ingredients grown right here in our garden.
Help Holocaust survivors afford necessities
We’re seeing a concerning combination of factors impacting our ability to serve as many Holocaust survivors as possible. As the cost of living continues to increase, there are higher health care costs, survivors are living longer, and more survivors are reaching out to JFS for support. Learn more about how JFS is working with survivors and what you can do to help us assist this special population with home care, medical and dental expenses, food, and much more.
Celebrating JFS Altius Farms
Guests joined us at JFS Altius Farms to celebrate our ribbon cutting. They enjoyed an evening learning more about the endeavor, and some had the opportunity to tour the green house. We’re excited to share this unique space with our supporters and look forward to more gatherings together!
Hear from our JFS president about Altius Farms
Now, we’re excited to share that JFS has the unique opportunity to be at the forefront of hyper-local, controlled-environment farming through our new social enterprise, JFS Altius Farms. By creating a platform for a cutting-edge social enterprise, JFS will expand our impact throughout our community and the clients we serve by providing fresh, healthy, locally grown produce.
Celebrating the High Holidays throughout the Boulder community
Residents and their families of several older adult facilities in Boulder enjoyed Rosh Hashanah celebrations thanks to our wonderful JFS Boulder team. Rabbis, para chaplains, and volunteers made this a successful and sweet welcome to the new year, and we are so thankful for their dedication to our Boulder community.
Fostering Friendships
Sue, an older adult response and recovery specialist for Jefferson County Public Health, enjoys bird watching, grooming horses, reading, writing, watching older sitcoms, and dogs—and since 2019, being a JFS Friendly Visitor. The program matches volunteers with older adults or adults with disabilities, and the meaningful connections that are made are inspiring!