In the spring, a very generous donor committed a multi-year gift to Kehilla Residential Programme in support of subsidized housing to aid young people who have transitioned or are transitioning out of the child welfare system. This initiative provides much-needed support to these youth who have overcome significant trauma and often face ongoing mental health concerns that can impact their ability to achieve their educational and vocational goals. As such, having financial support with housing becomes an essential element to their long-term success. 

The initiative is a terrific demonstration of how a community partnership can have an immense impact on the lives of vulnerable young adults. JF&CS is one of the mandated children's aid societies in Toronto and York Region, and we are not alone in delivering transformational services and support to youth and former youth in care. 

One client who benefitted from this subsidy shares, "Each month, the Kehilla funding helps me pay for rent and allows me to have extra money to buy basic necessities for daily living such as food. I am grateful for Kehilla's support!"

Thanks to Kehilla and our generous donor for helping us to identify and champion affordable housing initiatives within the Jewish community in the GTA. "The partnership between JF&CS and Kehilla has a true impact on the lives of our most vulnerable community members," shares Talyah Breslin, Chief Executive Officer of JF&CS. "Advocating and collaborating to provide affordable, sustainable, and comfortable housing is a way to promote dignity and wellbeing and is essential to fighting poverty at its core."

JF&CS frequently receives generous donations from groups and other organizations. Temple Kol Ami is an inclusive, family-oriented Reform Jewish congregation in York Region that recently donated grief kits for JF&CS clients.

Carolynn Schiller is a member of the congregation's Social Action committee, who has been working with different children’s aid agencies for 40 years and helped to foster the connection between Temple Kol Ami and JF&CS. The congregation’s committee volunteers with many different community initiatives and mitzvah projects and wanted to collaborate with a Jewish organization for their next project.

"We wanted to ensure the agency gets the help that they deserve. Many people are going through hard times now, and we felt that grief kits are important. It is a huge mitzvah to provide support for people in mourning," shares Janelle Alter, Chairwoman of the Social Action committee. "We can't help everyone, but if we can help somebody get over a loss they've experienced during the pandemic, it is much better than suffering alone and in silence."

Mitzvah projects like Temple Kol Ami's grief kits are meaningful opportunities to provide valuable support to vulnerable and isolated members of the community. These projects are also great bonding activities and the perfect occasion to connect over a mutual act of kindness. "Sometimes it's the smallest gift that means the most to others," Janelle says, "people seem to think that it's all or nothing. However, you really don't have to give a million dollars. Little by little, everything adds up, and you become a part of something greater."

Do you have your own mitzvah project idea or want additional information? Please click here to read our Give Back Guide or contact donations at donations@jfandcs.com or call 416.638.7800 x 6999 to discuss!

In addition to fantastic groups and organizations like Temple Kol Ami, we also receive various gifts-in-kind intended to benefit our clients. JF&CS offers numerous groups and workshops for clients and community members throughout the year. The Listening Brunch is an online Zoom group where women in our Poverty Reduction programs can connect with each other through mutual support, refreshments, and online activities. Thanks to a generous community donor, we were able to put together six comfort and care baskets for the participants in the group. The baskets were hand-delivered and stocked with items such as:

-    A mug and hot chocolate
-    Colouring pencils, a sharpener and two adult colouring books
-    A lavender-scented eye mask
-    A hot water bottle
-    A journal
-    Some faux flowers and a plush squishable toy for stress relief

Participants were also provided with grocery store gift cards to purchase items to eat or drink while enjoying group time together.

JF&CS has many other groups and workshops that benefit from community donations such as these. For more information on our community groups and workshops, please click here. If you are interested in donating similar gifts-in-kind, please contact donations at donations@jfandcs.com or call 416.638.7800 x 6999.

The month of September was a busy month at JF&CS. We worked tirelessly to prepare for our two major accreditation reviews. As a result, we are delighted to announce that we received full accreditation from the Council on Accreditation (COA), with no follow-up items identified, as well as a 100% compliance rating from Hospice Palliative Care Ontario (HPCO).

These incredible achievements recognize all of the outstanding work and expertise carried out by JF&CS staff. Among the many commendations we received was a request to continue sharing our expertise across the sector. As an industry leader in the social services sector, we are extremely proud of the opportunities for leadership, partnership and research collaborations, all in our ongoing journey to achieve service excellence.

Both COA and HPCO's accreditations ensure the agency continues to deliver consistent, high-quality programs and services that not only meet but often exceed high performance standards. The above accreditations are indicative of our dedication to continuous learning and quality improvement in order to optimize our positive impact on the community. JF&CS remains committed to all of our stakeholders and is thrilled to share these spectacular accomplishments with you!

Last year, JF&CS was able to brighten the lives of hundreds of the GTA's children and youth during our Chanukah Drive For Dreidels. It was through your support and generosity that we were able to deliver toys and gift cards to families facing financial hardships during the holiday season. 

This Chanukah, like last year, your monetary donation to JF&CS will allow us to purchase toys and gift cards for our community's most vulnerable children and youth. If you wish to donate toys or gift cards, please contact us directly.

Click here to support Drive For Dreidels

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