Dear JFS Friends, Supporters, and Collaborative Partners,
Every winter, I’m reminded how fortunate my family is to have a warm home. But for thousands of households in our community, keeping the heat on is a daily struggle, one made worse by rising energy costs and cuts to federal benefits that once served as a critical safety net.
This burden falls heaviest on families with young children and low-income older adults, who are most vulnerable to the health risks of cold weather. At JFS, we see this need every day. More than 77% of those served by our Jewish Family Assistance Network (FAN) are age 60 or older. Many live alone on fixed incomes and are already managing chronic health conditions that become more dangerous in the cold.
Families with infants and young children, particularly immigrant households facing job instability and limited access to public benefits, are experiencing similar hardships. As utility bills rise faster than wages, more families and older adults across our programs are forced to choose between heating their homes and paying for food, medication, or rent. The message we hear is clear: the need is urgent, and they need our help.
This winter, JFS anticipates providing emergency assistance to help more than 300 households keep the heat on. Your support ensures these families and older adults can stay warm, safe, and healthy throughout the coldest months of the year.
Thanks to a generous donor, all gifts to JFS received in December will be matched up to $75,000. Your year end contribution is an opportunity to dramatically increase your impact and help ensure that families and older adults in our community can stay warm, safe, and healthy throughout the winter months.
When you give to JFS, you are doing more than covering a utility bill. You are protecting the health of an older adult living alone, ensuring a child sleeps in a warm home, and easing the impossible choices too many households face between heat, food, and medicine. With your support, and by fully leveraging this matching gift, we can make sure no one in our community faces winter alone.
Thank you for your generous consideration,
Lino Covarrubias, CEO