When our community was impacted by the government shutdown, JFS immediately stepped up to ensure San Diegans were connected to critical support. Hear from Dana Toppel, JFS CEO, how we’ve been meeting the moment with compassion and action.

As millions of people prepare to lose their federal food assistance program benefits like SNAP — CalFresh in California — nonprofit organizations are already noticing the impact of the government shutdown on the community. 

“Today is our fourth week of our emergency response to this government shutdown,” Tom Stewart, the vice president of strategic integration at Jewish Family Service (JFS), told NBC 7. “We’re preparing this afternoon to be able to serve up to 200 households.” 

Stewart, along with about a half-dozen volunteers, was preparing boxes of fresh produce and canned goods for community members to come pick up at a drive-through distribution event. He added that they will host these Wednesday evening events at their Balboa Avenue location in Kearny Mesa until the shutdown ends. 

Jewish Family Service has distributed food weekly since shutdown started and is seeing many new faces. The non-profit expects even more with snap benefits delayed. San Diego is home to the highest military population in California, plus an additional 46,000 civilian federal workers, making the region particularly vulnerable to the effects of a federal shutdown. The organization has committed to providing community food distributions every Wednesday for as long as the shutdown continues, with each visitor receiving 40 pounds of food.

As the federal government shutdown continues, local organizations are stepping up to help military families and federal employees struggling to make ends meet.

Every Wednesday from 4 to 6 p.m., volunteers at the Jewish Family Service of San Diego distribute free food to families in need through a drive-thru pickup program. Since the start of the shutdown, organizers say demand has surged. “So anyone who is impacted could be federal employees, military families, contractors, civilian workers — just anybody affected by this,” said Tom Stewart of Jewish Family Service. Stewart said the organization has seen a 42% increase in families using the drive-thru service in the past week.

Barring a quick end to the shutdown, many federal workers could miss a paycheck Friday, and November food benefits could be delayed to hundreds of thousands in San Diego County. Jewish Family Service has drive-thru food distributions for federal employees, contractors and their families impacted by the shutdown on Wednesdays from 4:00 to 6:00pm at its campus at 8804 Balboa Ave. in Kearny Mesa.

Federal workers are quietly seeking help—and bracing for deeper cuts as the shutdown enters its third week. San Diego County is home to thousands of people who have been furloughed or are working without pay during a budget impasse entering a third week with no end in sight. “I think we can handle one more pay period,” said the woman, who held the hand of her 3-year-old daughter as she walked to her car with a donated bag of groceries. “If it goes more than another paycheck, that’s when it’s going to hurt my family.” Their needs will strain an already struggling non-profit sector contending with budget cuts and inflation, while adding pressure to both parties in Washington to reach a resolution.

“We’ve been working with local nonprofits to make sure that they are increasing their service delivery, to be able to accommodate the needs of the federal workforce. So I’ve worked with the food bank, Feeding San Diego, Jewish Family Services, others, to make sure that we are, you know, getting the information out to the federal workforce of how they can get the support that they need, and then making sure that our local nonprofit partners are able to provide those supports.”

Jewish Family Service of San Diego has found another way to help those impacted by the United States federal government shutdown.

The nonprofit that helps the entire community, along with The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, is hosting a drive-thru food distribution on Oct. 15 at Jewish Family Service of San Diego, Joan & Irwin Jacobs Campus in Kearny Mesa for families impacted by the shutdown.

Nearly 200 families of federal workers and those in the military will each receive about 40 pounds of food, including fresh produce, non-perishable and shelf-stable pantry food.

This will not be a one-and-done as the distributions will continue to be available every Wednesday at 8804 Balboa Ave., for as long as the shutdown continues. Jewish Family Service of San Diego (JFSSD) actually started providing food to furloughed government workers and their families on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

In response, JFS developed a first-of-its-kind program to provide community members with an immediate, compassionate response and connections to resources in the wake of a hate incident or crime. The Jewish Community Emergency Response Team (JCERT) deploys specially trained staff and volunteers to assist people with compassionate triage, providing immediate psychological support and grounding, along with connection with short- and long-term recovery resources.

San Diego is home to about 47,000 federal employees and more than 100,000 military personnel, reports NBC 7’s Jeanette Quezada. Jewish Family Service is now offering free groceries to federal employees and contractors who may be at risk of missing their next paycheck.

San Diego ya siente los efectos del cierre del Gobierno Federal, con miles de familias enfrentando la incertidumbre de no recibir sueldos. Organizaciones locales, como Jewish Family Service, han activado programas de ayuda alimentaria para apoyar a los empleados federales y sus familias.

San Diego nonprofits are preparing for the long haul as the government shutdown enters its sixth day. Jewish Family Service is now offering free groceries to federal employees and contractors who may be at risk of missing their next paycheck.
“We recognize this is a new set of folks that need assistance, so we’re here to support,” said Tom Stewart, VP of Strategic Integration from Jewish Family Service. Working in coalition with The Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, Jewish Family Service is providing 40-pound bags filled with pantry staples and fresh produce. The bags will be available every Wednesday until the shutdown ends.

Dr. Bob Rubenstein and Marie Raftery have funded the Jewish Family Service David Rubenstein Memorial Scholarship since 2008, awarding financial aid to over 160 Jewish students in San Diego County to support their educational and vocational goals. “For us, it is very satisfying to be able to do that. It’s an honor. I’m grateful for having the opportunity to do it.” said Marie Raftery.

Jewish Family Service hosted a meaningful intergenerational challah bake that brought together Holocaust survivors and teens, led by 8th-grader Milana. Through shared stories and the hands-on tradition of braiding challah for Rosh Hashanah, participants built connections, honored memory, and celebrated the strength and continuity of the Jewish community.

The County is partnering with the San Diego Foundation on a new guaranteed income program for high-risk pregnant women as part of a new initiative called Born Well. The County has been involved with other Guaranteed Income Programs in recent years. The Family Income for Empowerment Program started in April 2023 in partnership with Jewish Family Service. Another County cash payment program was Recovery Action Fund for Tomorrow or RAFT, in partnership with Jewish Family Service. Guaranteed income programs provide direct, unconditional cash that gives families the freedom to spend money on their most immediate needs as they define them, such as food, childcare, medical needs or rent.

According to JFS’s new leadership duo⎯CEO Dana Toppel and Board Chair Theresa Dupuis⎯the needs in our community are growing more urgent and more complex. Together, they are stepping forward determined to meet the moment with compassion, purpose and resolve.

New CEO Dana Toppel and new board chair Theresa Dupuis talk about how Jewish Family Service is meeting today’s community needs in a sit down with Fox News. 

Dana Toppel, JFS CEO, and Theresa Dupuis, JFS Board Chair, sit down with KUSI to discuss JFS’s role in building a community where everyone has safe and stable housing, enough food to eat, and a supportive community around them.

San Diego’s latest and largest Safe Parking lot—the H Barracks operated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego as part of their Safe Parking Program—is welcoming people who are living out of a vehicle and are looking to rest without worry for the night. On Thursday, ABC 10News was the first to go inside the lot since it opened on May 31 and had been welcoming people who don’t have a place to go. Sometimes being homeless doesn’t mean being on the streets.

A 190-space Safe Parking Program site was recently opened by the city of San Diego at H Barracks, offering vehicle dwellers services to help them avert homelessness. The Safe Parking Program provides individuals, seniors, and families a secure place to stay while accessing services and pursuing housing. Sites include restrooms, mental health services, and job training, and participants work with case managers to create individual housing goals. A judge ruled recently in the city’s favor — and against a developer’s request — for a temporary restraining order that would have prevented the swift opening of the H Barracks Safe Parking Program, which is operated by Jewish Family Service of San Diego.

Jewish Family Service of San Diego hosted its annual 2025 Heart and Soul Gala April 26 at the Rady Shell at Jacobs Park. With guests, community leaders and JFS partners in attendance, the event celebrated the philanthropic contributions of the 2025 honorees Karen and Jeff Silberman, Solana Beach residents, and Susanna and Michael Flaster, and commemorated JFS CEO Michael Hopkins’ 13 years of leadership, ahead of his retirement this summer.

Nonprofits and city leaders urge state intervention to support San Diegans facing high living costs. Jewish Family Service is actively involved in addressing these challenges through initiatives and offering programs. “Food security is not just about hunger. When families are given access to housing, healthcare, job support and cash assistance, they can put food on the table and build a foundation to not just survive but thrive,” said Kaley Levitt, Jewish Family Services President of Government Affairs.

Jewish Family Service has served over 4,500 San Diegans sheltering in their vehicles, including 650 children, through its Safe Parking Program. The new Safe Parking Lot, known as H Barracks, has room to accommodate 190 vehicles overnight and will also be run by JFS.

In a tribute to the late Robert Resnik, the community was encouraged to honor his memory through donations to Jewish Family Service, reflecting the Resnik family’s long-standing connection to and support of JFS’s mission. JFS is honored to be part of the Resnik family’s story and grateful for the support during this time of remembrance.

As part of Harvard Law School’s spring break pro bono initiative, students traveled to California to assist with asylum work in partnership with Jewish Family Service (JFS). The collaboration provided students with hands-on experience in immigration law while contributing to JFS’s critical legal services for asylum seekers.