JFS News Archive

Recently, Jim Kanally designated a $900,000 gift from the John Joseph Kanally Trust to Jewish Family Services (JFS) through the Jewish Community Foundation. Seventy-two-year-old Jim Kanally didn’t know about Jewish Family Services’ programs until his conversation with a neighbor. That neighbor happens to be JFS Chief Program Officer Maggie Haghirian, who spends much of her time empowering ... read more

The JFS 2022 Impact Report is live! Our 2022 Impact Report, “Stronger Together,” is now available for our community to learn more about the work of JFS during 2022. Read the report here. ... read more

The month of March marks the transition from winter to spring. Life outside begins anew and we see our environment transform. Here in the midwest, the change in weather can be erratic and a bit out of balance. Shorts one day, snow pants the next. You just never know what you’re going to get. Life can be much the same way. We experience high highs, low lows, and along the way, likely a lot of ... read more

Madeleine Reiches is a busy young woman with an interesting job. As controls engineer with Burns & McDonnell, she programs machines in factories that manufacture potato chips, peanut butter and baking soda. While her career keeps Reiches moving at a fast pace, she makes time to volunteer with Jewish Family Services (JFS) as a driver with the JET Express program. JET Express provides ... read more

It’s been a nearly a decade since Chris Wiley began volunteering for Jewish Family Services helping older adult clients with their technology needs– and JFS is so happy he did! Wiley has a strong background in technology services – setting up, fixing and repairing those “gadgets” we all take for granted, but sometimes can’t figure out on our own. Wiley would fix computers in his free time and ... read more

Anyone who has visited Jewish Family Services Food Pantry KesherKC Mobile effort has encountered the friendly smile and warm greeting from Susan Lebovitz. "People sincerely appreciate JFS's generosity,” said Lebovitz, who started volunteering with the agency in 2019. She’s always willing to pitch in where help is needed. To honor her efforts, Lebovitz has been named JFS Volunteer of the ... read more

April is Volunteer Appreciation Month, and Jewish Family Services (JFS) is honoring the hard work and dedication of its many volunteers, including Rip Fernholz, who helps with the JFS Food Pantry. JFS has named Fernholz its April Volunteer of the Month. Born and raised in Chicago, Illinois, Fernholz has experience when it comes to food, having worked in sales in the food services industry ... read more

Sonny Singer is a people person, and connecting with others is one of her favorite things about volunteering with Jewish Family Services. Singer’s dedication to making those connections positive and productive is why JFS is honoring her as its Volunteer of the Month. “The honor bestowed on me is an honor I am paying to JFS,” Singer said. "I refer to my volunteerism as an opportunity, an ... read more

The Regnier family – including Bob and Ann Regnier, Victor A. Regnier, Cathy Regnier, Jon, Kate, Charlotte and Abe Bender - recently made a $150,000 gift to JFS in honor of their parents Vic and Helen Regnier. The gift was made to JFS on the occasion of its 120th anniversary. The Regniers are part of the JFS 120th Anniversary families helping the agency celebrate this milestone. “I was ... read more

Thank you to Gail and Harry Himmelstein for their generous donation to the JFS 120th anniversary campaign to support the organization’s older adult services! The gift establishes the Harry and Gail Himmelstein Older Adults Endowment Fund, housed at the Jewish Community Foundation. "It was time to do something that we knew would boost JFS up and put it toward an area we feel strongly about,” ... read more