JFS of Colorado Selected for Year Two of the Jewish Poverty Challenge
Following a North American call for submissions and an exhaustive selection process, Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) has been chosen by The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA) for participation in Year Two of its NJHSA Jewish Poverty Challenge, an offering of the Network’s Center for Innovation and Research. The goal of the program is to help NJHSA member agencies better analyze the marketplace, launch and manage solutions, and implement sustainable measures for success to address the many dynamics associated with responding to Jewish Poverty.
NJHSA has partnered with Start Co., a venture development consultancy firm based in Memphis, Tennessee with an expertise in launching startup, entrepreneurial initiatives and engaging municipalities, corporations and non-profits in poverty reduction responses. The team at Start Co will provide expert consultation assistance as JFS rethinks and redesigns products and services, adjusting assumptions and organization models.And throughout, special attention will be paid to the impact of COVID-19 on service delivery methods.
"We are thankful to NJHSA for supporting innovations to address Jewish Poverty,” said Linda P. Foster, JFS president and CEO. “This grant will enable us to reimagine and strengthen our employment services to help Jewish and non-Jewish individuals with inherent and perceived barriers to gainful employment become self-sufficient members of society. Through the NJHSA grant, JFS can respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and help our community recover by expanding our employment programs to support members of our community who are unexpectedly unemployed gain employment stability, economic security, and poverty alleviation.”
Reuben Rotman, President & CEO of the Network added that, “The COVID-19 pandemic has even further heightened the critical need for innovative solutions to the challenges of Jewish Poverty.With newly vulnerable clients reaching out for assistance in unprecedented frequency, the agencies are challenged to identify new ways of working and new efforts to achieve sustainable solutions for those in need.”
About Jewish Family Service of ColoradoFounded in 1872, Jewish Family Service of Colorado (JFS) is a nonsectarian, nonprofit human services agency serving metro Denver and Boulder. JFS believes in strengthening the community by providing vital services to vulnerable individuals and families. JFS offers a variety of programs to help those in need navigate life’s challenges through integrated support. The full continuum of care includes helping older adults stay supported, connected, and engaged as they age while maintaining a high quality of life; providing quality mental health counseling and case management to children, adults, immigrants, and refugees; offering training, job placement, and community enrichment to people with disabilities; and providing housing stability, employment support, and food security to individuals and families. Every year, the agency serves thousands of individuals and impacts more than 15,000 people of all faiths, races, ages, incomes, and abilities. For more information, visit www.jewishfamilyservice.org.
About Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA)
The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies is an international membership association of more than 140 nonprofit human service agencies in the United States, Canada and Israel. Its members provide a full range of human services for the Jewish community and beyond, including healthcare, career, employment and mental health services, as well as programs for youth, families and seniors, Holocaust survivors, immigrants and refugees, persons with disabilities and caregivers. The Network is dedicated to advancing the Jewish human service sector through advocacy, best practices, innovation and partnerships. For more information about NJHSA visit www.networkjhsa.org or call 201.977.2400.
