From the Desk of CEO Judy Halper: January 2018
Time flies when you’re having a good time, as the saying goes. The longer I live, the more I realize time flies whether you’re having a good time or not! In just a couple of weeks, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis (JFCS) will celebrate its 108th birthday! What a remarkable story we are proud to share – that this organization began in response to desperate immigrants and refugees seeking a new home in America. They would be helped with essential services to set up success for daily life, and that amazing work continues today.
I am particularly reminded how quickly time is passing as I realize that in less than two months, JFCS will move to its new home in Golden Valley! This move has been in the works for more than two years. Having begun as a dream idea, months and months later it is materializing into a dream come true. We offer a huge thank you to the building’s founding sponsor, Stillman Family Foundation, which has been leading the way!
The excitement is practically palpable as staff de-clutter and begin packing. Every detail is being considered by experts and highly engaged staff and volunteers to ensure our vision for the best outcomes for those seeking assistance from JFCS. This means help will be provided by innovative and collaborative professional staff who offer boundless compassion. On top of the high expectations we set for ourselves every day, we are excited to partner with PRISM, who will rent space in our new building. Together we’ll make sure that individuals and families will receive all of the other services of JFCS – including mental health assistance, career services, transportation, and more – and assistance with food security too.
We’re all set for this new address and this new era, not to mention the seamless approach to offering help. I hope you’re excited about it too! We welcome everyone to visit us in our new home, and I encourage you to put May 8 on your calendar when we’ll host a ribbon-cutting open house and hear from several local dignitaries who will welcome JFCS and PRISM to the neighborhood.
Our new space will create new volunteer opportunities and innovative programming. As always, you can help. Please consider how you’ll engage with JFCS in 2018 and beyond. We welcome individuals, families, school groups, book clubs, maj groups, you name it! At JFCS, we are “Here for All…Always.” Help us by volunteering, donating, and learning more about what we offer. Our Next Century/ building campaign can still benefit from your donation of any amount. Please contact me or Development Director Dana Rubin to learn more or make a donation. We look forward to our first permanent home in 108 years, and being the place you’ll call home too when you or someone you know could use a little support.