January is National Soup Month and there’s no better time to kick off our JFS Food Pantry “Souper” Bowl leading up to NFL’s biggest event of the year on February 5th. For the next 18 days, the JFS Food Pantry will be collecting canned and/or dry soup mixes to help in its fight against Hunger. Don’t stand on the sidelines!! Take a time out and help us gain the offensive lead in tackling food insecurity in our local community. Our team is ready to receive your canned soup and/or boxed soup donations! Donations can be handed off at the JFS Food Pantry on January 19, 25, 26, or February 1 and February 2 from 8:30 – 12:30; or donations can also be dropped off at the JFS main office during non-pantry hours.

Save the date and plan to join us for our Special Spring Celebration on March 25, 2017!  Enjoy an evening of Jazz featuring the Jassmen with Master of Ceremony WTNH’s Jacquie Slater. This Saturday evening event will begin at 8 p.m. and will include a light dinner.

Proceeds from this event will help in our mission to end homelessness through our Emergency Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program.  JFS does its best to forestall and/or mitigate housing crises by simultaneously working with our families via financial and mental health counseling, comprehensive case management, community advocacy, benefits screening, housing dispute mediation, information and referrals, and vocational coaching.  The target population for our Emergency Housing and Homelessness Prevention Program is individuals and families residing in Greater New Haven County who are confronting homelessness due to dire financial circumstances that threaten their ability to maintain or obtain suitable housing arrangements. Given the overwhelming need in our community for housing assistance, priority has always been given to those who face imminent danger of losing their current homes, and, as a result, face potential homelessness.  Today, a family in our region needs to earn at least $45,000 to afford a two-bedroom apartment.

In 2016, JFS began its participation in the Greater New Haven Coordinated Access Network.  As such, we provide drop-in intake hours to assist clients with who are at immediate risk of homelessness.  Many of our referrals come through The United Way InfoLine 2-1-1.  This work is geared toward providing housing diversion interventions, targeting individuals and families at the very critical state as they are applying for entry into shelters.

Reservations and ticket information for this event will be released shortly.

 

After seven years of leading the JFSGNH Jewish Wellness and Healing Center, Rabbi Hesch Sommer will be retiring at the end of 2016.  Rabbi Sommer, working with community leaders, developed a partnership with agencies throughout the Greater New Haven community to offer pastoral care and counseling to individuals who all too often were left underserved.  The JWHC is actually a “center without walls,” in which support through programming and pastoral outreach is offered wherever a need is identified.

The work of the JWHC will continue, with the educational programs to be facilitated by Sydney Perry and the pastoral care and counseling to be offered by Rabbi Fred Hyman.  Please check our website link to the Wellness and Healing Center for upcoming programs and support groups.  Sydney Perry and Rabbi Hyman will both be joining the JFSGNH staff in January, and they can be reached after January 1^st by contacting JFS of Greater New Haven (203-389-5599).  Ms. Perry’s extension will be 117 and Rabbi Hyman’s voice mail extension will be 135.

Rosa DeLauro Honored For Her Dedication to Children

On Thursday, November 3^rd, Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro was honored by Food4Kids New Haven during a celebration at Lo Ricco Towers in New Haven.  The event was a celebration and appreciation of DeLauro’s many years of hard work and dedication to issues affecting children and families – especially childhood hunger.  Rosa is a leader and a powerful voice in fighting to improve and expand federal support for child nutrition and for modernizing our food safety system.  She continually advocates for the School Lunch Program, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which provide critical aid to aid children and families at or below the federal poverty level.

Food4Kids New Haven provides weekend supplemental food to school children in New Haven.  The bags, designed to discreetly tuck in backpacks, contain kid-friendly, non-perishable foods that can be easily opened and consumed.  This program, now in its fourth year, is a joint project between Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven and Women’s Philanthropy of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.  To support his vital program, please click here and be sure to specify “Food4Kids” in the program designation.

Help Local Families Celebrate Thanksgiving

For many of us, the holidays are a time to celebrate with family, friends and food.  Yet for some of our neighbors, feeding their families is a daily struggle and a holiday feast is a luxury they cannot afford.  Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven would like to help these families by providing traditional holiday food for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  This year the JFSGNH Food Pantry and Nutritional Health Center will be distributing more than 250 bags of non-perishable foods, fresh produce and gift cards to people who need holiday assistance.  Your contribution to the JFSGNH Food Assistance Program will help many local families to be able to celebrate the upcoming holidays and beyond.  To donate please click here and be sure to specify “Thanksgiving” in your program choice.

Mark you Calendar  – On Thursday, November 3, 2016, FOOD4KIDS New Haven will honor Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro at LoRicco Tower in New Haven. Invitations will be sent shortly and reservations ($50 per person) can be made online at www.jfsnh.org in early October.

FOOD4KIDS is a joint project of Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven and Women’s Philanthropy Division of the Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven.  The program is dedicated to addressing child food insecurity in New Haven by providing nutritious, weekend supplemental food packages for school children.  Proceeds from this event will help provide more than 200 children with weekend food during the academic year.

To make reservations or to sponsor a child, please click here.

For more information about this event, please contact Rachel Scolnic Dobin at 203-389-5599, ext. 109 or rsdobin@jfsnh.org

Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven invites cancer survivors to come join us for a lite, healthy breakfast and lively discussion with Michele Krilivsky, Registered Dietician, Certified Specialist Oncology Nutrition – Smilow Cancer Hospital.  This hour-long presentation will cover ways to eat to be your healthiest.  Learn about foods that can boost your body’s energy and well-being.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016
8:30 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.
Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven
1440 Whalley Avenue, New Haven, CT  06515

RSVP Required to Amy Rashba, 203-389-5599, ext. 113 or mailto:arashba@jfsnh.org”>arashba@jfsnh.org

September is National Hunger Action Month. Every week the JFSGNH Food Pantry & Nutritional Health Center staff takes a stand against Hunger. You can make a difference to those who are food insecure in our local community. We are collecting new, non-perishable food items throughout September. We are currently in need of canned soups (especially meat based) and cereal. Items can be dropped off at the JFS office during regular hours, or the JFS Food Pantry on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9-noon. Together We “Can” Make a Difference!  For more information or to arrange a drop off time, contact Sandra Hagan at shagan@jfsnh.org or 203-389-5599.  

Jewish Family Service of New Haven, the community’s indispensable nonprofit social and human service resource for the past 75 years, is now officially Jewish Family Service of Greater New Haven.  The name change reflects the much expanded role that today’s JFS has assumed in responding to the ever growing needs of our community’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged individuals and families.

From Chester to Cheshire, Milford to Guilford and all points in between, today’s JFS can be found serving clients in need throughout the entirety of Greater New Haven County and beyond.  We have become, truly, “an agency without walls.”

In conjunction with the name change, JFS of Greater New Haven launched our new website, with a new logo, both which are intended to capture the agency’s character and identity – its values, its mission and vision, and the diversity of essential services that JFS presently offers in response to the community’s greatest needs and struggles.

JFS invites you to “surf” our website and learn about the wide and varied array of social and human services that we offer to community residents in need: Innovative and essential programming such as the JFS Food Pantry and Nutritional Health Center; the Jewish Wellness and Healing Center; the Jewish Community Outreach “SOS” program; JFS’ many specialized Foster Care, Child Permanency, and Adoption programs; the Food4Kids weekend backpack program; Emergency and Safety Net Services; Older Adult and Holocaust Survivor Assistance programs; Volunteer Services; and programs serving Domestic Violence victims; Adults with Developmental Disabilities; and JFS’ traditional myriad Therapeutic Counseling and Family Support programs – and so much more.

The website also offers a monthly calendar section, JFS and community news items, and a host of easy to find information for consumers, donors, community stakeholders and community partners alike.

In addition, friends and supporters can now simply and easily donate to JFS, directly from the website, to the program(s) or cause(s) of their choosing.  Also, a beautiful, newly designed Tribute Card now can be sent to recognize life cycle events “in honor of” or “in memory of” a loved one. One can visit the “Donate Now” page of the website to learn more.

 

 

 

JFSGNH is collecting new school supplies for children and teens whose families use our agency services.  We would like to provide for these 68 families (125+ children and teens between the ages of 4-16). Some of the items we are seeking include: new backpacks (all sizes) ; crayons (thin and the thick ones); one-subject, wide ruled notebooks; two-pocket folders; No. 2 pencils; pens; child safe scissors; colored pencils; child safe pencil sharpeners; water based markers; white glue sticks, erasers; loose-leaf notebook paper; construction paper; highlighters, etc. The JFS main office, 1440 Whalley Avenue, New Haven (2^nd floor) will have a drop off box in the reception area. In addition, donations may be dropped off at the JFS Food Pantry (1^st floor) on Wednesdays and Thursdays between 9 a.m. – 12 p.m.  If you are an organization, business or school and you would like to conduct a collection to assist us, please contact shagan@jfsnh.org.  We are hoping to distribute the items before the start of the school year. Thanks in advance for helping our kids to get ready for a great school year ahead!