Check out one of our teen volunteers, Ezra Granet, featured in the La Jolla Light for his incredible community advocacy during the COVID-19 pandemic. Earlier this spring, Ezra made his Mitvah Project about helping the people we serve at JFS by providing protective masks. Ezra started by raising money and then recruited his friends Jack Harvey and Anouk Janssen to help. Together, they generously donated 4,000 masks to JFS’s Migrant Shelter Services and Safe Parking Program, and an additional 2,000 masks to be distributed throughout our agency where it is needed most. Ezra went on to start a charity called Donate4Masks, which collects mask donations in order to provide PPE to those in need. So far, Ezra donated 20,000 masks to San Diego service organizations and had more of an impact than even he could have imagined.
Jeff has been an invaluable volunteer for our migrant shelter operations over the last couple of years. From serving food to families in our previous congregate space, and helping get disaster relief to the immigrant community, to packing and delivering food to families in hotels who are being served by our SDRRN Migrant Shelter Services. In addition to showing up each week, he goes out of his way to recruit other volunteers to join him and advocates for our shelter guests through other opportunities within his community. His wife, Shaunda, also volunteers and has been huge help to our operations.
Recently, we asked Jeff to tell us more about why he volunteers for JFS.
How is volunteering a valuable part of your life?
Prior to retiring in November of 2017, I had to find an activity to complement playing golf and working in my woodshop. Finding the right fit was of paramount importance. I educated myself on the plight of the immigrants and refugees seeking a better life for themselves and their families which is no different than my ancestor’s situation when they arrived from Europe. Volunteering at the Migrant Shelter is a very important part of my life. It was more apparent as COVID and the immigration policies by the previous administration caused the Migrant Shelter to close.
If you were to encourage a friend to volunteer at JFS, what would you say?
I started volunteering at Migrant Shelter in March of 2019 and I can say it is an amazing experience to meet people, migrants, and staff at the Migrant Shelter. It is very rewarding. Basic tenets in my faith include “Love Thy Neighbor” and “Feed the Stranger”. The people coming to our border are our neighbors and need help to live a better life. That is what I say to my friends and fellow church goers. The purpose and story are being heard as numerous members of our church’s congregation, Shepherd of the Valley Lutheran Church in La Mesa, are now volunteering at the Migrant Shelter.
Can you tell us about a peak experience or high point in your volunteer experience–a time when you felt most engaged and proud of your work?
There are several experiences from the past two years that standout. The first is when the Shelter was located downtown, and I was part of a two-person team that visited the Port of Entry to meet asylees released by the US Border Patrol. On one occasion, a young mother and her three daughters, decided to take advantage of the Shelter services for meals, lodging and arrange transportation to their sponsor’s home. That same evening, I was serving dinner and the mother and daughters were eating by themselves. I noticed she was crying and thought it was a joyful tear but quite the opposite. She asked me, “Why do Americans not like migrants?” I told her that most Americans do like migrants and not to listen to the negative news. I felt very sad that our country would be portrayed as a bad place to live and to not accept those not as well off as we are.
The second experience happened just a few weeks ago while delivering meals to the hotel. I knocked on the door and a young girl about three or four years old opened the door and started jumping up and down waving her arms and yelling COMIDA, COMIDA!!! She was very, very happy. Just to see this was just heartwarming. We are doing a very good service and that young girl will forever remember that—maybe not me specifically, but definitely the meal!
Do you feel like your volunteer efforts make a difference?
The efforts of all the staff and volunteers at the Shelter have had a huge impact on the all the families that have received services. My own experiences are limited to what I see and feel at the Shelter or at the hotels when delivering meals. Without exception, all those I have met receiving Shelter Services are very humbled, appreciative, and happy to be here. However, I do recognize the fact that most of them are scared, have been traumatized, and will require a safe environment to adjust to life in their new country. I can’t imagine walking over 3,000 miles with little to no resources and just a backpack with children in tow. I believe they will survive!
Thank you for your dedication and service, Jeff! We appreciate you!
This spring we worked with three amazing VITA Volunteers, without whom we could not have helped families and individuals in our community receive free tax preparation services this tax season. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to Phil Lorang (pictured), Steve Meyer, and Sulochana Pandey.
Phil has been a long-time VITA tax volunteer assisting clients with their basic tax returns. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he shared with us why he likes to volunteer at JFS. “Preparing tax returns is a volunteer activity that always gives immediate and clear indicators of success. I enjoy being able to help people prepare and understand their tax refunds. And, we know that for every person we help, we saved them the cost and hassle of using a commercial tax preparer.”
If you are interested in becoming a VITA tax volunteer during the next tax season (spring 2022), keep any eye out for more information regarding this opportunity or email [email protected] to be added to the list. We would love your support—and remember, no previous tax experience necessary!
Central to the mission of Jewish Family Service is a deep-rooted commitment to address the current and future needs of the Jewish community—especially its most vulnerable members. The new Center for Jewish Care at Jewish Family Service expands on this commitment by having the bold vision of eliminating poverty in the Jewish community by offering critical relief service. The Center for Jewish Care is also a home for tikkun olam where you can participate in volunteer opportunities, community-wide holiday campaigns, and authentic Jewish conversations. Learn more about how you can join us in supporting the Jewish community.
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COVID-19 Update:
Even as the CDC updates COVID-19 safety restrictions regarding mask wearing and Governor Newsom has announced a full reopening of California by June 15, JFS’s top priority continues to be ensuring the safety of our staff, clients, volunteers, and community. While vaccination rollouts are well underway in San Diego, we recognize some individuals in our community are not eligible, and others may not get vaccinated based on consultation with their doctors. Therefore, JFS asks that all volunteers continue to practice the following safety protocols when engaging with clients, staff, or other volunteers in any JFS capacity.
JFS Health & Safety Guidelines:
General Health and Safety Precautions:
Questions to ask yourself before volunteering*:
*If you answered yes to any of these questions, please cancel any scheduled volunteer shifts, including match meet ups and wait at least 14 days before returning to in-person volunteering.
We are looking for Safe Parking Program Runners to help transport warm meal donations from the main JFS campus to our other safe parking lots around San Diego County. Our lots offer a reliable place to stay, a welcoming environment, meaningful resources, and dignified support for unsheltered San Diegans living in their vehicles, many of whom are experiencing homelessness for the first time. If you are interested in this volunteer opportunity, please click here to learn more and sign up.
Throughout our JFS services, we rely on our amazing volunteer drivers to help us transport older adults to vaccine appointments, deliver food to homebound individuals, guide asylum-seeking families through the airport or to wellness appointments, and deliver holiday packages to our Jewish community. Some driver opportunities even allow you to volunteer with a friend or your children. As always, we have strict protocols in place to keep you and those we serve safe. If you are 25 or older and interested in becoming a volunteer driver, explore the opportunities below or call us to determine the right fit for you and your schedule.
June 8, 2021 | 10:00am-11:00am
Calling all new and returning volunteers! Did you join our incredible team of change-making volunteers during the COVID-19 pandemic? Are you new to JFS and craving connection with fellow volunteers and more information about our overall agency? Or are you a returning volunteer who wants to brush up on their JFS expertise? If so, you’re in luck! Our Community and Volunteer Engagement team will be hosting a live Volunteer Orientation to review our JFS mission, programs, history, impact, response to COVID-19, and important updates. Refer a Friend & tune in for update! Click to RSVP >>
June 8, 2021 | 2:30pm-3:30pm
June is Alzheimer’s & Brain Awareness Month and we’d like to invite you to join us for a Dementia Friend Workshop. A Dementia Friend is someone who, through viewing a series of online videos or attending a live session, learns about what it’s like to live with dementia and then turns that understanding into action. From telling friends about the Dementia Friends program to visiting someone who is living with dementia, every action counts. Anyone of any age can be a Dementia Friend–we all have a part to play in creating dementia-friendly communities. Join us to learn about dementia, how to recognize the signs of dementia and simple actions you can take to be a Dementia Friend and to personally contribute to making your community dementia-friendly. Click to RSVP >>
June is LGBTQIA+ Pride Month. Stay Tuned for LGBTQIA+ Inclusivity Workshops coming in July! In the meantime, you can check out all our upcoming events on Galaxy Digital.
Lindsay Smith
Director
Molly Thong
Coordinator
Maya Allen
Lead Coordinator
Cheyenne Arroyo
Training
Claire Lucas
Program Assistant
Carole Yellen
Senior Director
Questions? Please contact us at [email protected] or (858) 637-3050.
