We are thrilled to announce that Lights of Love is returning for a third year! The program is designed to help bring holiday warmth and joy to our neighbors who need it, and every year Lights of Love has grown. Last winter, generous friends and donors helped us brighten the season for more than 100 […]
Archives for 2021
Caring for an Aging Richmond
An Aging Richmond 10,000 Baby Boomers turn 65 every day in the U.S. When Boomers get together, conversations often turn to caring for their aging parents, their own health, and then the puzzling question: “Who will care for us?” A UVA study suggests that in Greater Richmond alone, the population of elders between ages 80 […]
JFS’ 172nd Annual Meeting
Jewish Family Services celebrated our 172nd Annual Meeting this year on June 15th. A year’s experience with Zoom showed: the brisk meeting zoomed by, with fabulous emceeing from former JFS Board Member and Trustee Larry Salzman – and no technical difficulties to speak of. Rabbi Dovid Asher delivered a touching D’Var Torah with an adoption […]
Partnership for Behavioral Health in the East End
Ever since JFS’ predecessor, the Ladies Hebrew Association, added “Benevolent” to their name and began serving the community beyond its own members, we have continued to expand our reach to more and more Richmonders in need. In 2019, JFS was particularly concerned with two intertwined problems facing residents of Richmond’s East End: elders with Medicaid […]
May is National Foster Care Month!
May is National Foster Care Month, and JFS Connecting Hearts is partnering again with CBS 6 on a multimedia awareness campaign! Keep an eye on JFS Connecting Hearts’ Facebook page and watch CBS 6 to see interviews with Richmond foster families! Right now, there are 729 children and youth in central Virginia’s foster care system. […]
Sneak Peek at the 2021 NFPA Conference
Virtual Learning Event for Foster Parents The National Foster Parent Association announced their 50th Education Conference, FORWARD, will take place online from June 24-26, 2021. Registration opens on April 15 and costs $99 for the three day event. Videos of the entire conference will be available to watch for three months after it ends, so […]
Spotlight on JFS Social Workers
The theme of this year’s Social Work Month is #SocialWorkersAreEssential, and JFS is spotlighting our own essential social workers from around the agency! You’ll get a peek into an average day, hear why they decided to become a social worker, and learn what it takes to do the job. Please join us in honoring and […]
Celebrating Zipporah Cohen in Women’s History Month
During this Women’s History Month, JFS honors the woman who inspired us through the challenges of the last year: Zipporah Cohen, the President of JFS from 1904 to 1938. A Gifted Leader Zipporah Cohen was the daughter of Rabbi Michelbacher, Congregation Beth Ahabah’s first Rabbi and the inspiration for the all-female founders of the Ladies […]
Honoring the JFS Care Aides
As we arrive at the anniversary of the pandemic, JFS is humbled by the exceptional compassion, dedication, and care our In-Home Care Aides have given their clients over the last year, many of whom are elders living in poverty and have nowhere else to turn for help. The challenges the Aides face are significant: caring for their own children and aging parents; families wanting more care for […]
Mental Health Tools for a New Year
In the last few months of 2020, JFS Counseling was invited to host mental health “check-ins” for students involved with Hillel at Virginia Tech, staff at the Weinstein JCC, and community members through JCFR. Across the spectrum of age and experience, many concerns were the same: anxiety about the pandemic, difficulty adjusting to new routines, […]