Advocates say asylum claims & exemptions are not uniformly enforced at border crossings. So far this year, the San Diego Rapid Response Network has assisted 453 Ukrainians at the border.  That compares to 878 Ukrainians assisted during all of 2021, according to Kate Clark, the group’s Director of Immigration Services. Advocates are calling for the immediate repeal of policies that have allowed migrants to be turned away from the border before seeking asylum.

San Diego immigration experts called Friday for an end to Trump-era immigration restrictions as potentially thousands of desperate migrants from Ukraine and Russia begin to arrive in Tijuana.

Kate Clark, senior director of immigration services at Jewish Family Service, said that “Our recently arrived guests from Ukraine tend to be female heads of households with their children. Their spouses have stayed behind to fight for Ukraine’s continued independence.”

San Diego’s first guaranteed income pilot program launched on March 15 with 150 households across the County receiving their first monthly installment of $500. “I am super excited to see families actually get the money that they’ve been waiting for and us to be able to support them in this way,” said Khea Pollard, Director for San Diego for Every Child. The $2.9 million program is run by Jewish Family Service of San Diego with funding from the state’s budget surplus and Alliance Healthcare Foundation and gives families the choice to use the money in a way that works best for them.

In this 15-minute audio news feature, we hear an extended interview with Marinya, a Ukrainian asylum-seeker who made it into the U.S. with her 10- and 8- year-old daughters. They received assistance at the SDRRN Migrant Shelter Services operated by Jewish Family Service. Additionally, Kate Clark, JFS senior director of immigrant services, is interviewed about the pressing reasons why Title 42 should be lifted so that asylum seekers from around the world can seek safety and security.

People fleeing the war in Ukraine are arriving at the southern U.S. border and asking for asylum – but those efforts are being complicated by pandemic-era rules limiting entry into the country. Maryna and her 10- and 8- year-old daughters are among those who have actually made it into the country. They received assistance at the SDRRN Migrant Shelter Services operated by Jewish Family Service. It is time that Title 42 be lifted so that asylum seekers from around the world can seek safety and security.

Between June and Feb. 21, with the exception of one week, Russians were among the top-three nationalities assisted by the San Diego Rapid Response Network, which offers food and lodging to migrants after their release from U.S. border custody. The network has also been receiving a small but growing number of Ukrainians, and the volume is expected to increase in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion, assuming access to Mexico remains relatively easy.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego said that their organization will be one of the main touchpoints for Ukrainian asylum-seekers coming to the region, which could begin to happen in the upcoming weeks or months.

In this opinion piece by Dana Toppel, Chief Operating Officer, she addresses what it means to transition beyond pandemic life while caring for our self-health and moving forward at the same time. She writes, “As we approach the next phase of our journey along these strange and challenging times, we will need to become comfortable with holding polarities — opposite emotions — sometimes at the same time, during the same day.”

Espacio Migrante director and founder, Paulina Olvera Cáñez, shares five ways you can help support immigrant communities including volunteering as a translator at Jewish Family Service.

San Diego County has begun a community-based outreach and engagement effort using Mobile Crisis Response Teams, or MCRTs, for people experiencing a mental health or substance use crisis. Through a contract with JFS’s Breaking Down Barriers program, a prevention and early intervention program providing outreach and education to reduce stigma around mental illness, outreach workers will work with community organizations to connect to diverse communities and provide information about how to access services when there is a need.

Cafe X: By Any Beans Necessary was launched by Khea Pollard and Cynthia Ajani, to help propel systemic change for marginalized communities in San Diego. Pollard also serves as Director for San Diego for Every Child (coordinated and fiscally sponsored by JFS), where she administers San Diego’s first guaranteed income project designed to support generational wealth building in underserved communities and tackle racial and gender inequalities.

The state has dedicated funding toward humanitarian services for asylum seekers who have been released from federal immigration custody since before the pandemic. Gov. Gavin Newsom is now proposing to add an extra infusion of money to those efforts. He has proposed allocating an additional $110 million towards vaccinations and testing of asylum seekers, as well as isolation and quarantine requirements in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. “A value of Jewish Family Services is to welcome the country’s newest arrivals,” Kate Clark, senior director of immigration said. “Our goal is making sure that public health is protected and to do that with dignity and respect is important.”

Established by Dr. Robert Rubenstein, in memory of his son David, the JFS-David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship provides grants to students from San Diego’s Jewish community who plan to attend college or vocational school. The program awards scholarships of up to $5,000, based on financial need, academic performance, and community involvement.

In California, the average annual cost of infant care is nearly $17,000, which is $8,925 more than in-state public college tuition. This eye-opening study by the Economic Policy Institute finds that the average family in California would have to spend over 40% of their income to pay for child care for two children. These numbers highlight the need to help struggling families. Erin Hogeboom, Director of San Diego For Every Child (housed at Jewish Family Service), speaks to how Guaranteed Income is one way to provide funds for much needed help.

In this trio of op-eds in support of Guaranteed Income, Khea Pollard (San Diego For Every Child/JFS) and Stacy Rutland (Income Movement) examine the benefits of cash payments including recipients were able to pay down debt, save more, and plan. And, they were able to sleep better, had less anxiety, and improve their relationships. View the page in the print edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In this trio of op-eds in support of San Diego For Every Child’s Guaranteed Income Project, Senator Ben Hueso declares, “It’s time to end the narrative that people experiencing poverty simply need to work harder or make better choices.” This past year, the California Legislature and Gov. Gavin Newsom joined the growing chorus of support and allocated $35 million over five years for the nation’s first-ever state-funded guaranteed income program. In that same 2021-22 budget agreement, the governor and Legislature approved funding of $1.4 million for San Diego for Every Child Guaranteed Income Project — a nonprofit coalition coordinated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego — to support San Diego’s first guaranteed income project. View the page in the print edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

In this trio of op-eds in support of San Diego For Every Child’s Guaranteed Income Project, Kim McDougal (YMCA of San Diego County) strongly supports this work seeing first had how guaranteed income payments act as a stabilizing force so that people can spend their time productively out of survival mode. View the page in the print edition of The San Diego Union-Tribune.

A retirement party was held via Zoom on Wednesday, Feb. 2, for Hedy Dalin, who for 21 1/2 years has served the clients of Jewish Family Service in a variety of roles, particularly as a problem solver for elders and as a mentor for more recently hired staff members. Darren Schwartz, chief planning and strategy officer for the Jewish Federation of San Diego County, wrote in: “Hedy has been teacher, partner and confidant in all things Holocaust Survivors for me. She has taught me about the importance of being trauma informed and how to bring dignity into care.”

Asylum seekers in the recently reinstated “Remain in Mexico” program at the San Diego-Tijuana border crossed north for court hearings for the first time on Tuesday. Their introduction to U.S. immigration court was marred by technological snafus and general confusion on the part of officials about procedures for the program’s reboot with added complications from the ongoing pandemic — as well as ongoing issues that were apparent in the program’s earlier version. Kate Clark, Sr. Director of Immigration, was interviewed as JFS was present to serve as an informal friend of the court.

“The process of strengthening our governance has been one of incredible teamwork. And as we wrote the application and associated supporting materials, it was a joy to reflect on the outstanding work of JFS and the parts that our board and committees play in supporting JFS’ far-reaching and impactful work to improve the lives of people in our San Diego community,” said Jewish Family Service Board Chair Emily Jennewein.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFS) has received the 2022 Kaleidoscope Award for Good Governance by The Nonprofit Institute at the University of San Diego, in the large organization category – reserved for nonprofits with an annual budget of $10 million or more. This prestigious award honors engaged board leadership in the San Diego region’s nonprofit sector, and annually recognizes organizations for the exceptional work of their boards in providing crucial leadership, guidance, and oversight to the nonprofits they serve.

“Many of our local seniors are homebound and don’t have access to transportation,” said Michael Hopkins, CEO of JFS. “We can’t let this stand in the way for older adults who want to receive a vaccine or booster. We want people to know we’re here to help.”

The University of San Diego (USD) recognized the work that three non-profit organizations have carried out during the difficult times of the pandemic over the past 18 months.

The Kaleidoscope Good Governance Awards were presented to the Jewish Family Services of San Diego, Just in Time for Foster Youth, and Border Angels.

With the Omicron variant raising new concerns about Covid-19, Jewish Family Service is offering free rides to local seniors who want to receive COVID-19 vaccine booster shots or the original vaccine – a service desperately needed since many local seniors are homebound and don’t have access to transportation. In this radio interview, Kristine Stensberg, Sr. Director of Nutrition and Aging Care, and Marilyn Greenblatt, Director of Transportation, discuss this service and other community impacts of On the Go.

In San Diego County, we know all too well the consequences of an under-funded child care system. Families pay upwards of $20,000 annually for infant care – more than double the annual tuition at San Diego State University. In this Op-Ed, Erin Hogeboom of San Diego For Every Child, discusses the importance of making an investment in children now.