JFS News Archive

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Jewish Family Services (JFS) is blessed with wonderful volunteers, including Sophie Safter. While Shafter has lived in many cities in her adult life, she has always focused on connecting with the Jewish community no matter the place. While she moved to the Kansas City area about eight years ago, it wasn’t until after COVID that Shafter found her new ... read more

Angela DeWilde began her career as a teacher before becoming the founding Executive Director of Start at Zero, a Kansas City nonprofit dedicated to partnering with parents to foster healthy early childhood development. After leading Start at Zero for seven years, Angela served as Interim Executive Director at Show Me KC Schools during that organization’s transition, shoring up community support ... read more

Elizabeth “Beth” Noble, Ph.D. of Education, prides herself in being a devout promoter of Jewish Family Services’ (JFS) services. Beth is an advocate, a very generous donor, and client. She first learned about JFS through one of her doctorate students back in the 1980s. Since then, Beth has referred several students to JFS for various services, especially its mental health therapy services. ... read more

Jewish Family Services (JFS) announced a restructuring of its operations to better serve its clients and build a strong foundation for the future. A principal aim of this restructuring is to allow the JFS team to better understand client needs by using more comprehensive assessments and then connecting clients more fully to a broader set of services provided by JFS. It is anticipated that this ... read more

Donna has been a member of Help@Home, JFS’s handyman program, for 13 years. With her children living out of town, JFS has stood in the gap, helping the 89-year-old with minor home repairs and chores she’s unable to perform herself. Fiercely independent, Donna has lived in the same home since 1961. But recently, after a small stroke, her family became increasingly concerned about her ability to ... read more

As summer ends and a new school year begins, many families face a mix of emotions. Whether you’re experiencing an empty nest, preparing a child for kindergarten, or supporting an anxious teenager, here are some strategies from Jesse Sieve, JFS Clinical Director, to help your family navigate change with courage and resilience. Accept and Acknowledge Emotions Change is inevitable and accepting ... read more

May is designated as Older Adults Awareness Month, focusing on the contributions of older adults (60-plus) and reaffirming our commitment to serving them. Over 300,000 living in the metro are 60- plus, and that number is likely to increase as the babyboomers hit retirement age. For Jewish Family Services, sustaining the quality of life throughout the aging journey is everything. JFS has a ... read more

As a social worker, I meet people every day who are facing giants. From the mom who secretly skips meals so her family has more to eat, to the 84-year-old proudly trying to repair his dilapidated home, the only thing larger than many of our clients’ fears is their quiet courage. Knowing this, one of my co-workers recently asked what breaks my heart. Without skipping a beat, I said, ... read more

Doug Cohen, a vice president of Citizens Bank, N.A. and Deputy Director of Trust Services – Clarfeld Citizens Private Wealth, has been named a 2023 Wealth Club Winner. As part of this honor, Cohen was awarded $2,500 that he is donating to Jewish Family Services. As part of its award program, The Wealth Club will donate $197,000 to 82 organizations on its colleagues’ behalf during 2024. “As ... read more

Taking care of family is an amazing gift to give a loved one. Hattie was in the very late stages of Alzheimer’s. Her daughter Edie left her role as a certified nursing assistant to be her mom’s 24/7 full-time caregiver. While being Hattie’s sole caregiver was daunting at times, Edie wasn’t alone. Through the Caregiver Support program, their JFS Care Manager wrapped multiple services around ... read more