Jewish Community Services programs such as Family Support and the Koved Emergency Fund provide assistance to individuals and families in crisis with the goal of strengthening the security and stability of the individual and family. These services are there to help those facing difficult times.
Melinda
Those who fall through the cracks
should have a soft landing.
A trapeze artist can walk confidently across a tightrope—not because he is sure of his skill, but because he knows there is a safety net below to catch him if he falls. No one wants to be the one who falls; the plunge can be humiliating, frightening, disheartening, and even painful. If you are the one that gravity plucks off that line, you will know, all the way down, that you
will be safe.
The Family Support Program of Jewish Community Services is a lot like this safety net—but it is more like part of a Jewish family. Melinda is one woman who has fallen into the embrace of Family Support Services, an embrace that offers more than just safety and support. It’s an embrace that gives guidance, comfort, and encouragement while keeping people’s lives intact—especially their spirituality and their Judaism.
When Melinda’s husband passed away, emotional turmoil was quick to seep into the lives of her family. Shortly afterwards, Melinda became disabled due to a chronic, debilitating syndrome that affected her legs. Money started getting tighter and tighter. When Melinda could not afford to purchase tickets to Jewish High Holidays, to have a Passover Seder, or even to give Hanukah presents to her children, she contacted Family Support Services.
Melinda has been adjusting to life as best as she can. She never complains. Her gratefulness to Jewish Community Services can be seen in the countless “Thank-You” cards she has sent over the years. She has even volunteered her time at the Jewish Community Services food pantry, and enlisted her son to help. Melinda lives with her sons and granddaughter, and is able to provide for them and retain their Judaism with the help of Family Support Services and Jewish Community Services.
When catastrophic circumstances require people to reach for outside help, there are many different safety nets to choose from. Family Support Services is different. It isn’t so much a net as it is a quilt of love and compassion. Family Support Services is part of the Jewish community family, and is ready to help those who have fallen get back on their feet.
