JUNE 2021

Dear Friend,

Allow me to introduce myself: I am JFN's new Executive Vice President and will be helping to lead the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty.

I'm excited to get to know all of you and to learn more about the work you are doing to address and end Jewish poverty. Over the course of my career, I have focused on using Jewish wisdom to help heal the world. I have worked with many groups in this capacity: the ill, caregivers, rabbis, and more. I look forward to bringing my skill to working with this group to alleviate poverty. Before joining JFN, I was Director of the Engagement Division at Hadassah: The Women’s Zionist Organization. My professional background also includes directing Clal’s Rabbis Without Borders, co-founding the Gender Equity in Hiring Project, and consulting for synagogues, organizations, and individuals on leadership development, building creative capacity, actualizing ideas, and how to work across religious and cultural borders.

Thank you for playing a critical role in elevating issues of poverty on our community’s agenda. We want to know more about how we can help you, so please take the time to fill out our survey (details below). In addition to sharing information about the survey, this issue of our newsletter highlights an important new effort to better serve Jewish survivors of domestic violence and provides information on upcoming and past (now on video) programs. Please stay in touch and don't forget to share your questions and “bright spots.”

Warmly,

Rabbi Rebecca Sirbu
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Upcoming Events—

Thursday, July 15, 12-1 pm ET (9-10 am PT)

Lessons from the Frontlines: A Conversation with Avodah Service Corps Fellows

Hear from three Avodah Corps members who have spent the past 10 months working on the frontlines of the fight against poverty in the Jewish community in New York City. 2020-2021 Corps Members Allie Fischgrund (Project Ore), Emma Holyst (Met Council on Jewish Poverty), and Abby Israel (Footsteps) will share stories and perspectives from their work on the ground, surprises or ways that their thinking has changed, and lessons for how to advance the work of breaking cycles of poverty, particularly in the Jewish community. Jennifer Turner, the New York Program Director of the Avodah Jewish Services Corps, will also join to connect this work to Avodah’s broader fight against poverty.

Susan Wolf Ditkoff, Senior Adviser at The Bridgespan Group, will moderate the conversation.

>>RSVP

—Our Work—

Help Us Gather Information

The Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty is engaging in research to learn what resources and supports would be most helpful to you as you engage in the important work of addressing Jewish poverty. Please help us by completing this 12-15 minute survey! Your response to this survey will be confidential and will only be seen by our core team. As part of our research, we will also be conducting brief interviews. If you would like to be interviewed, please let us know. Thank you for your help!

>>Fill out the survey

—Bright Spot—

Mobilizing Support for Jewish Survivors of Domestic Violence

Like Jewish poverty, domestic violence in the Jewish community is a phenomenon that defies stereotypes and whose existence many people deny. Yet, like poverty, it has only increased in the past year as a result of the Covid pandemic. And the two are linked: in seeking to escape domestic abuse, victims frequently confront, or are stymied by, major economic challenges.

With funding from the Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Philanthropies, Jewish Women International recently published an extensive needs assessment and series of recommendations that address these challenges head-on. In addition to recommending greater national coordination among the disparate local Jewish agencies serving domestic violence survivors, the JWI report identifies the need for access to legal support, safe and affordable housing, and the means to build economic security. Among the recommendations:

• Developing trauma-informed and victim-centered strengths and asset-focused skills training programs for both traditional and flexible work environments and tools to increase financial literacy skills for survivors and their children.
• Encouraging financial institutions to provide domestic violence survivors with low-interest loans, cash assistance, and other services that expand long-term economic security, while also connecting and mentoring survivors as they work to enhance their economic security.
• Create a funding mechanism that recognizes the impact of abuse on survivors’ finances, most notably how abuse destroys credit and thereby inhibits access to traditional sources of loans and credit; explore partnerships to provide transitional housing and low-cost moving services.
• Providing Jewish domestic violence programs with adequate funding to hire trauma-informed family law attorneys; creating and maintaining a clearinghouse on typical issues facing domestic violence survivors; offering training, mentoring, and peer support for attorneys serving Jewish domestic violence survivors.

The report also recommends other services and investments, including greater support for children who have witnessed domestic violence and building “survivor-centered responses” to domestic violence that counter existing tendencies to privilege powerful abusers or stigmatize survivors.

JWI CEO Meredith Jacobs said her organization will push for implementation of these recommendations by “forming a national center that will work in partnership to meet the systemic needs of survivors and to support the local Jewish programs and advocates that serve them.”

Download the executive summary and full report at https://www.jwi.org/jewish-domestic-violence

To learn how your organization can partner with JWI to better serve Jewish survivors of domestic violence, email Deborah Rosenbloom at [email protected]

—Resources—

Affinity Group Videos

We've recently added videos from a special briefing on the new Pew report's poverty-related findings, as well as a webinar on how convening different people and stakeholders can create real change. You can watch these and the growing library of all Affinity Group videos, on this playlist on JFN's YouTube channel. For a more focused experience, check out the following Affinity Group playlists:

• Our Covid briefing series, which includes videos on "The Intersection of Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Jewish Poverty" and "How the Pandemic is Impacting Jews of Color."
• Videos from our FedLab workshops
• Our "Success Factors" series, which includes videos on "Engaging People with Lived Experiences" and "Best Practices Addressing Jewish Poverty in Small Towns."

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials.

GrantED: Stronger Relationships. Greater Impact.

Nonprofits addressing Jewish poverty — and the funders who support them — can benefit from the many resources offered by GrantED, a joint project of Jewish Funders Network and UpStart. GrantED (jgranted.org) creates and curates articles, tools, and other materials to inspire and inform grantmakers and grantseekers, organizing around four core interdependent components of successful partnerships: strengthening relationships, understanding and addressing power dynamics, sustaining impact, and effective communication.

GrantED's resources and case studies are selected with an eye toward sharing best practices, showcasing success stories, and equipping funders and nonprofits with the tools to improve. GrantED also encourages interaction and knowledge-sharing by offering workshops, facilitated conversations, and other programs. Learn more at www.jgranted.org.

—From the Field—

The Miracle of Jewish Pandemic Giving
(Mosaic Magazine, June 28)

Poverty Is A Matter of Policy Choices, Not Moral Failings
(Bangor Daily News, June 23)

Givers and the Government Stepped Up to Support Nonprofits
(The Hill, June 20)

New Research Highlights a Shifting Priority at Food Banks: Tackling the Root Causes of Food Insecurity
(The Counter, June 8)

‘Food Hubs’ In Sacramento’s Low Income Neighborhoods Could Combat Hunger, Support Entrepreneurs
(CAP Radio, June 7)

USDA Sending $1 Billion in Funding to Country’s Food Bank Networks
(The Associated Press, June 4)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy.

NOVEMBER 2020 

Dear Friend,

What a busy and crazy fall this has been! I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy even as Covid cases surge.

I want to warmly welcome many new members of the affinity group, particularly those who connected with us last month through our FedLab workshop. It was heartening to see how many communities are coming together to address poverty, and the sheer amount of networking, information-sharing, and planning that happened in just a few hours was truly astounding! You can learn more about it in the article below and in the videos and other materials posted on the Affinity Group website.

In this newsletter, you’ll also learn about our newly published funder briefs – outlining key needs and funding opportunities in six areas. I hope you will share them widely. I’m also thrilled to share news of Affinity Group members UJA-Federation of New York and Commonpoint Queens’ The Hub, an impressive new one-stop facility that opened last month for New Yorkers of all backgrounds struggling with poverty. And this month’s Bright Spot highlights an innovative Fellows Program being launched by Affinity Group member JFCS of Greater Philadelphia.

Please stay in touch. I want to know what is going on in your community and how the Affinity Group can be helpful.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

*TODAY! It's not too late to register!*

Exploring the Challenges & Opportunities of Affordable Housing 

(Tuesday, November 17, 1-2 pm ET)

Join the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty’s housing workgroup for an update on the dialogue underway about affordable housing and information about an innovative model administered by Jewish Family Services of Rochester that is helping to support an affordable housing community there. In addition, Jewish Funders Network members Jane and Eddie Lorin will talk about their work developing and operating affordable housing communities and about the foundation they launched to ensure the quality of life for residents living in affordable housing communities. Presenters include Lisa Budlow of CHAI (Comprehensive Housing Assistance, Inc.) Baltimore; Jennie Schaff of Jewish Family Services of Rochester, and Eddie and Jane Lorin.

—Our Work—

Funder Briefing Papers Now Available

As devastating as the Covid pandemic has been, we are pleased that it has increased awareness about the many individuals, including Jews, living on the edge financially. With new funders interested in investing in programs addressing Jewish poverty, we want to make it as easy as possible for them to identify the key areas where they can be most helpful. That’s why we just published six funder briefs outlining the needs in key sectors and offering concrete suggestions for how donors can help.

The briefs, available for download here, summarize the needs and investment opportunities in addressing food insecurity, housing, jobs, older adults, mental health, and systems. We encourage you to share them and to incorporate them into any of your fundraising or public awareness efforts. You will also want to read and share this eJewish Philanthropy article about the need for funders to step up on Jewish poverty. If your organization has marketing and public relations staff, please encourage them to contact Julie Wiener ([email protected]), JFN’s director of communications, so we can work collaboratively to get the word out about this and other aspects of the Affinity Group’s work.

Almost 40 Poverty Action Plans Launched at FedLab

When the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty began planning its FedLab track, “Building Community Action Plans to Address Poverty,” the goal was to train working groups from 10 communities. Instead, almost four times as many communities — from all over North America and from cities large and small – assembled anti-poverty working groups and signed up.

In Zoom sessions, leaders from the affinity group shared success factors, best practices, and other important information on addressing poverty. Then, in structured, facilitated discussions, working groups consisting of a variety of stakeholders from each of 38 communities mapped out their next steps. Each group discussed their local goals and benchmarks, examined their community’s strengths and weaknesses, explored which/if any “Success Factors” models and best practices would be most applicable to their community, and brainstormed about potential partners and allies to include in their work moving forward.

“This was an incredibly productive and collaborative conversation for our Colorado agencies, and we have very tangible outcomes to move forward with that we wouldn’t have otherwise,” Steven Baker, Senior Director of Philanthropy at JEWISHcolorado said afterward.

Watch the main video and nine "Success Factor" breakout sessions from this FedLab track here and download other resources from the session here. You will also want to watch our session from the JFNA’s General Assembly, a discussion about local strategies for addressing poverty. 

UJA-Federation of New York Opens Groundbreaking ‘Hub’

In October, UJA-Federation of New York, in partnership with Commonpoint Queens opened the Queens Hub, a new 9,600-square-foot social service center that will offer employment resources, social services, and access to food.

Open to all New Yorkers, the Hub is expected to serve 6,000 clients in its first year. An all-encompassing facility that provides a range of social services to help people stabilize their lives, the centerpiece of the Hub is a best-in-class workforce development program where potential employers will participate in trainings, increasing the likelihood of participants finding employment. The Hub also offers case management, mental health counseling, benefits screening and enrollment, emergency cash assistance, and access to the Commonpoint Queens Digital Food pantry.

Also, in response to Covid-19 and the overwhelming demand for social services, UJA allocated $4.6 million for six satellite Hub locations that will open their doors in November across Manhattan, Brooklyn, Long Island, and Westchester. While the Queens Hub will be permanent to respond to perennial poverty, the satellite Hubs will serve as a shorter-term COVID recovery response. UJA is also working toward building a permanent Brooklyn Hub. For more information, email Alexandra Roth-Kahn.

—Bright Spot—

The Power of Peer Support

One of the linchpins of most addiction recovery programs is the “sponsor” – a recovered user whose lived experience helps them offer mentorship, inspiration, and emotional support. The “peer support” approach has become an increasingly common component of mental health treatment as well. JFCS of Philadelphia believes this approach also can help clients who are struggling to escape poverty – while also helping former clients get to the next step professionally.

JFCS of Greater Philadelphia’s Peer Fellows Program is one of three projects that recently completed the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program (learn about the other two here and here). After months of planning, including focus groups with clients, the project is ready to launch once funding is secured.

Under the program, the agency will select several former clients for year-long full-time paid peer fellowships. The peer fellows, who will serve Jewish clients between the ages of 18-64, will increase the number of client “touch points” – staff at JFCS who are available to help them. The hope is that they also will increase staff awareness of and sensitivity to clients’ experiences, while providing the validation and empathy many clients have told JFCS they need.

“We wanted to better meet clients where they are and add a layer of support, in which someone can be their cheerleader telling them to keep going, saying ‘I did it, I know it’s hard,’” explains Courtney Owen, JFCS’ Director of Individual and Family Services. “But we also knew the fellow would offer an important perspective to the client’s care manager and, by working with our team for a year, would gain job experience and training. The goal is to enhance our care services, but also help the fellow take the next step to a full-time career.”

Many clients “have lived in poverty a long time and feel like there’s no way out,” so “having a peer say, ‘I was able to take the next step,’” can be transformative in getting them to think beyond just surviving month to month, Owen notes.

To learn more about this project, watch this FedLab "Success Factor" breakout session with JFCS Senior Vice President for Programs and Strategy David Rosenberg. You can also email him at [email protected] 

—Resources—

The Affinity Group Website

Your one-stop-shop for all Affinity Group videos, briefing papers, newsletters, and other materials. jfunders.org/national_affinity_group_on_jewish_poverty

The Affinity Group on YouTube

Since March, we've held seven briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar, facilitated by Bridgespan Group Senior Advisor Susan Wolf Ditkoff features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The entire series is available in a this playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel. We’ve also created a second playlist, that includes Affinity Group videos that aren’t part of the Covid briefing series – such as last month’s webinar about Broke: The Game, a game Affinity Group member and JFCS of Pittsburgh COO Dana Gold created to promote awareness about the realities of poverty. (You can download the app version for free or order as a board game here.)

JFN's Covid-19 Response Site

You can find our videos, as well as curated articles, updates on needs in the field and donor responses, as well as other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of JFN’s Covid-19 Response site. Please email Julie Wiener if you have material to share or other feedback.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. If your organization has marketing and communications staff, please put them in touch with JFN's communications director, Julie Wiener, to coordinate on media strategy. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Philadelphia City Council Votes to Create a Nonprofit Fund Aimed at Pulling 100,000 out of Poverty (Philadelphia Inquirer, November 12)

Millions Face Loss of Jobless Aid: ‘Without It, I’m Dead in the Water’ (New York Times, November 11)

Virus Relief Package Uncertain in Post-Election Congress (Associated Press, November 9)

Residents Feared Low-Income Housing Would Ruin Their Suburb. It Didn’t. (New York Times, November 5)

Biden’s Tax Plan Would Steer Aid to the Poor but Could Deter Some Wealthy Donors from Giving (Chronicle of Philanthropy, October 28)

A Canadian Study Gave $7,500 to Homeless People. Here’s How They Spent It. (Vox, October 27)

SNAP Benefits Cost a Total of $85.6B in the 2020 Fiscal Year Amid Heightened US Poverty and Unemployment (The Conversation, October 27)

We Could Abolish Child Poverty in the U.S. with Social Security Benefits for Poor Kids (Brookings Institution Blog, October 21)

MASBIA Soup Kitchen Transitions to 24-Hour Schedule to Help Those in Red Zones (News 12, October 20)

1.5 Million New Yorkers Can’t Afford Food. Pantries Are Their Lifeline. (New York Times, October 20)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

In a famous scene from Mel Brooks’ classic film, “Young Frankenstein,” one character says, “It could be worse. Could be raining,” only for a downpour to immediately begin.

That’s what it was like for the most vulnerable among us when the Covid pandemic hit this spring: An already difficult situation became dramatically worse. While no sector of society has been untouched by Covid, individuals who were struggling with poverty, and the agencies that serve them, have been hardest hit. Meanwhile, furloughs, layoffs, and the drying up of federal stimulus resources have pushed ever-growing numbers of people into poverty, and a shrinking tax base leaves the government less able to help.

Read the rest of this article on eJewish Philanthropy

The pandemic has brought on seismic shifts in all aspects of daily life and impacted all sectors of society and tiers of professional life. But those most vulnerable among us are clearly now and in the near future facing the most dire consequences. Those living paycheck to paycheck have been hard hit by dramatic and sudden job loss, and those already relying on others for assistance with basic needs have seen themselves cornered into greater isolation. Those already food insecure have seen new obstacles in access to meals, groceries, and essentials. Housing insecurity has grown, with many now uncertain how they will cover rent, make their mortgage payments, or pay their monthly utility bill or home repair expenses. As emergency relief runs out, debt is mounting and insecurity for individuals and families looms large.

The funding briefs below, prepared by the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, highlight efforts underway and outline concrete opportunities to partner and invest in this work. breaking down the main needs into six categories. Below, you can download the PDFs and find links to relevant videos.

Food Insecurity

Those facing food insecurity come from all walks of life. The pandemic is further exacerbating an already difficult situation as people struggle with limitations on transportation, closure of community spaces, and most importantly, extreme financial hardship caused by job loss, underemployment, and emergency childcare. Some people are seeing an increase in existing financial challenges. Others are experiencing new and unexpected hardship for the very first time. Jewish social service agencies already on the frontlines, have been forced to work differently while ramping up programs and services to address new and growing needs. 

Download Funding Brief

Watch Briefing Session 

Housing

The impact of the COVID-19 crisis, in particular rising job loss and underemployment, have created deep financial challenges leading to growing housing insecurity in the community. And, it is expected that the true impact of the pandemic on housing and shelter is yet to come. Social services agencies have ramped up and pivoted to address these urgent and emerging needs, which are disproportionately affecting communities of color, even while facing their own pandemic-related challenges and significant revenue loss.

Download Funding Brief

Jobs

Many community members have faced job loss, underemployment, and growing financial hardship in the face of the COVID-19 crisis. As a result, many are facing food and housing insecurity and acute economic challenges for the very first time. Social services agencies have ramped up and pivoted to address these urgent and emerging needs even while facing their own pandemic related challenges and significant revenue loss.

Download Funding Brief

Mental Health

Amid the pandemic and new financial and health hardships faced by individuals and families, Jewish organizations providing services and support in the mental health arena have needed to work differently while, at the same time, responding to and preparing for new and growing needs.

Download Funding Brief

Watch Briefing Session

Older Adults

As one of the most vulnerable populations to the coronavirus, older adults have faced vulnerability and unique challenges during the COVID-19 crisis. Social services agencies, even as they face their own pandemic-related challenges and revenue loss, have ramped up and pivoted services to meet urgent and rapidly-evolving needs for this population. Investment in agency response to the crisis is needed to provide critical emergency support for vulnerable older adults while ensuring sustainability and continuity of these services for some time to come

Download Funding Brief

Watch Briefing Session

Systems

In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, the system of organizations combatting poverty within the Jewish community, and in particular key actors such as community-based Jewish human service agencies, have needed to ramp up and pivot services and dramatically expand capacity to address intensifying poverty in the community and increasing challenges for vulnerable populations and older adults. These organizations are stepping up in the face of emerging need, even as they experience significant loss of revenue and unprecedented pandemic-related challenges. It should be noted that the sector itself has many partners, including government (local, State, Federal), other nonprofit organizations that provide critical support and educational services including advocacy organizations that work to effect social change, and direct service organizations addressing focused needs or populations. And throughout, social media and the Jewish press play critical roles in promoting the availability of human services and portraying the impact of current community needs in this service arena. Lastly, the increasing basic needs of Jewish community members have extended to other Jewish communal organizations and synagogues, highlighting the growing need for increased scholarship assistance for day schools and camps and requests for dues reductions with synagogues and JCC’s.

Watch Briefing Session on Systems

Briefing Session on the Intersection between Government and Philanthropy in Addressing Poverty

Learn more about the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty

Watch the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty's Series on Covid and Jewish Poverty

Materials from October 2020 FedLab Session: Building Community Action Plans to Address Jewish Poverty

Visit JFN's Covid-19 Catalog of Needs & Responses 

Visit JFN's Covid-19 Resource Hub

Learn about Scenario Planning for a Post-Pandemic Jewish Future

OCTOBER 2020 

Dear Friend,

Shana tova! I hope your holidays have been meaningful and joyous so far, despite the limitations imposed by Covid-19. I also hope that you were able to take some time to recharge over the summer (which already seems so long ago). Our work to end Jewish poverty and address the many hardships this pandemic has caused is a marathon, not a sprint, so self-care is critical!

I’m thrilled to share that the affinity group will be reconvening (albeit virtually) at the Jewish Federation of North America’s General Assembly on October 26-27. On Monday, October 26, the affinity group will be leading a session about the importance of place-based initiatives to combat poverty. And on Tuesday, October 27, at the GA's FedLab, we will be helping to facilitate an intensive four-hour session where community teams will strategize their local poverty responses. The GA is open to all, but the FedLab session is by invitation only. Please encourage your local Federation to participate and to bring a team. 

Below, you’ll also learn about our upcoming webinar with Affinity Group member Dana Gold of JFCS Pittsburgh, who has created a powerful new tool to raise awareness about poverty; the 11 communities selected for the second cohort of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ Poverty Challenge; and how a member of the first cohort, Jewish Family Services of Columbus, is using technology to better serve its clients.

Please let me know if you have any questions about or suggestions for the affinity group or if you have a "bright spot" to share. We are here to serve you and want to be sure we are meeting your needs.

Wishing you a joyous rest of Sukkot. Let’s hope 5781 is a happier and healthier year than its predecessor!

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

What Would You Do? "Broke: The Game" 

(Thursday, October 22, 1:30 pm, ET)

Join the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, and Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies, for a special program to learn about a groundbreaking new game that educates people about the realities of poverty in the United States.

Created by Dana Gold, Chief Operating Officer of JFCS Pittsburgh "Broke: The Game" simulates the stress and difficulty of attempting to overcome poverty. With a simple setup, this game forces players to challenge their preconceived ideas about poverty and those experiencing it. Hear from Gold about why she was inspired to create this game. Colleagues and funders will then share their impressions of the game after playing. In addition to Gold, speakers include Reuben Rotman, President and CEO of the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies.

All Hands on Deck: Community Collaboration in the Fight Against Poverty During Covid and Beyond 

(Monday, October 26, 3:30-4:30 pm ET)

In this session at the Jewish Federation of North America's General Assembly, Tipping Point CEO Sam Cobbs discusses community-based anti-poverty efforts with Sarah Abramson, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Impact at Combined Jewish Philanthropies of Greater Boston. To RSVP, register for the GA here.

FedLab Session Addressing Jewish Poverty

(Tuesday, October 27, 12-4:30 pm, ET)

This special track at the GA is by invitation-only. See more details in the news item below.

—Our Work—

FedLab Meeting: Building a Community Poverty Strategy in the Covid-19 Era and Beyond

At last year’s FedLab Conference, the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA), in partnership with the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty, put Federations’ role in human services, and particularly poverty, front and center on the Jewish community’s agenda. The Covid-19 crisis has upped the ante, leading to burgeoning human service needs across our communities. Now is the time to reimagine how our communities can help our most vulnerable. What would a holistic, integrated, and client-centered communal response to Jewish poverty look like? How can we develop place-based strategies to address both existing needs and new ones that have emerged due to the pandemic? What are the key components necessary for success? What tools do we need and how are they honed? Who needs to be at the table, and what partnerships do we need to build? What do we need to know, and how can we best learn? Join us as we unpack those key components and then work in diverse, local coalitions of leaders to take the work of fighting poverty from concept to reality. This session, on Tuesday, October 27 from 12-4:30 pm ET, will be attended by teams of local Federation staff, agency leaders, funders, and selected other participants. If you would like to participate, please reach out to your local Federation or email [email protected].

11 Communities Selected for Poverty Challenge

The Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies recently chose 11 agencies to participate in Year Two of its Jewish Poverty Challenge. The goal of the program is to help NJHSA member agencies better analyze the marketplace, launch and manage solutions, and implement sustainable measures for success to address the many dynamics associated with responding to Jewish poverty.

NJHSA has partnered with Start Co., a venture development consultancy firm with an expertise in launching startup, entrepreneurial initiatives and engaging municipalities, corporations and nonprofits in poverty reduction responses, to work with Jewish Community Service Baltimore; Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis; Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay; Jewish Family Service of Atlantic & Cape May Counties; Jewish Family Service Cincinnati; Jewish Family Service Colorado; Jewish Family Services Northeastern New York; Jewish Family Service Orange County, NY; Jewish Family Service San Diego; Jewish Family Service Vancouver, BC; and Jewish Family Service Western MA.

The team at Start Co will provide expert consultation assistance as these agencies rethink and redesign products and services, adjusting assumptions and organization models, while paying special attention to the impact of Covid-19 on service delivery methods.

Reuben Rotman, President & CEO of the Network added that “The COVID-19 pandemic has even further heightened the critical need for innovative solutions to the challenges of Jewish Poverty. With newly vulnerable clients reaching out for assistance in unprecedented frequency, the agencies are challenged to identify new ways of working and new efforts to achieve sustainable solutions for those in need.”

Learn about one of the Year 1 participants in the “Bright Spot” feature below.

—Bright Spot—

Social Services Online and On-Demand

When Covid lockdowns began in March, most nonprofits had to scramble to move programming and services from in-person to online. For Jewish Family Services of Columbus, however, the pandemic came at an opportune moment: just as it was about to pilot an ambitious digital project to create a digital portal. JFS’ effort to move critical services online quickly kicked into high gear shifting “from a small working group putting Post-It notes on the wall to everyone in the agency experimenting and creating new virtual content and services,” Karen Mozenter, CEO of the Ohio agency explained.

The digital portal project was one of three innovations selected for the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies’ 2019 Jewish Poverty Challenge Intensive Incubation Program (see above for information on the 2020 projects), all of which underwent a six-month entrepreneurship building and planning process. The consultants “gave us a process to follow and helped us map out efficiencies,” said Melissa Starr, JFS’s Director of Strategy and Partnerships.

The project was initially designed not with lockdown in mind, but in an effort to make services accessible and available on-demand for low-income clients who can’t easily travel to the office or aren’t free during business hours. “It’s so hard for people to access services when they’re experiencing poverty,” Mozenter said. “So many of our clients work multiple jobs, often as part of the gig economy, and are still in poverty.”

Even before Covid, JFS had already moved some of its services online – offering some virtual support groups and some career coaching via text-messaging. But now, it is offering much more, including shifting its initial intake process online, enabling it to more efficiently and quickly connect clients to needed services, such as referrals to food pantries. And it is also doing more to help clients, particularly seniors and low-income parents, obtain free or reduced-cost Wi-Fi and devices, and get the tech training they need. In addition to tele-counseling and support groups, the virtual programs now also include job-search groups, a series of free community workshops on career and mental health topics, and a variety of social activities, including a movie-watching club and a yoga class, for seniors.

After creating an array of new virtual content and services, JFS hopes to move to the next phase: building out the technology infrastructure so these services are available on-demand to all clients. - “We have spent the last couple of months building content in a way we hadn’t before,” Starr explained. “Now we’re looking to wrap it all into one package.” The agency plans to license the underlying technology to local and national partners, to create a sustainable revenue stream and increase the opportunities for collaboration and impact. To learn more about JFS of Columbus’ digital portal, email Karen Mozenter.

—Resources—

Webinars and More

Since March, we've held seven briefings on how Covid-19 is impacting Jews living in poverty and the organizations that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, sharing best practices and information, and strategizing on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups. The most recent, in August, focused on the challenges facing low-income Jewish college students. The entire series is available in a playlist on JFN’s YouTube channel, JFN’s Facebook page, JFN’s Covid-19 Response site, and on the National Affinity Group for Jewish Poverty section of the JFN site.

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. Please help us amplify each other's work by sharing your organization’s Twitter and Facebook handles with us, and following our new Twitter list. Also, be sure that you follow Jewish Funders Network (@jfunders) and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation (@hjweinbergfdn) on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

U.S. Faces Shortage of Up to 8 Billion Meals in Next 12 Months, Leading Food Bank Says (Washington Post, October 2)

Elderly and Homeless: America's Next Housing Crisis (New York Times, September 30)

Among Jews, the Young and Highly Educated Bear COVID’s Emotional and Economic Toll (Forward, September 24)

Ignoring Jewish Poverty Is a Sin We Can’t Afford (Forward, September 24)

Poverty Groups Brace for Influx of Need as Extra Unemployment Benefits Expire (Yahoo! Money, September 18)

A Funder-Backed Project Explores Why Covid-19 Adversely Impacts Low-Wage Workers (Inside Philanthropy, September 10)

Amid Layoffs and Funder Bailouts, the Jewish Nonprofit World Is Fearing 2021 (Jewish Insider, September 9)

Meet the 86-Year-Old Jewish Volunteer Running a Food Bank on the Outskirts of America (JTA, September 8)

Masbia Announces New Tech Support Hotline for Breadline Modernization (Jewish Press, September 3)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

JUNE 2020 

Dear Friend,

It’s been a year since we launched this affinity group, but it feels like a lifetime ago! It is fortunate that we began organizing when we did, because the events of the past year, particularly the Covid-19 pandemic, have highlighted how essential and desperately needed our work is.

We’ve broken down our work into working groups and briefing series to focus on specific issue areas, such as older adults and mental health. So far, we’ve held three briefings (see below) and will host several more in the coming months. Please stay tuned for details! All of this is helping us move forward on a long-term national agenda, as well as a midterm one focused on Covid-related needs.

Learn more about the working groups and briefings below, and be inspired by the rapid expansion of Philadelphia’s Call-A-Friend program, which demonstrates that sometimes even a simple, low-tech solution can improve the lives of hundreds of people. This month we also have details on a new relief fund for Jews of color impacted by the pandemic, along with some ideas for how we can more easily share information with one another and the larger Jewish community.

I hope you are staying healthy and safe. Please feel free to email me anytime with feedback and suggestions — and don’t forget to share your “bright spots” and other news.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

JFN Webinars of Interest

The National Affinity Group's briefing series (see more about this below) will be continuing next month, so please stay tuned for details. In the meantime, we encourage you to participate in these upcoming JFN webinars:

• Funding with an Inclusion Mindset: A Strategic Conversation in the Wake of Covid-19 (Thursday, June 18, 1 p.m. Eastern) RSVP and more details here.
• The Jewish Communal Professional Workforce and Covid-19 (Thursday, June 25, 1 p.m. Eastern) RSVP and more details here.

Learn about more JFN webinars here.

—Our Work—

Update on Working Groups

Soon after our inaugural meeting last June, we established five working groups to focus on key issue areas in addressing Jewish poverty: Older Adults, Housing, Food Insecurity, Mental Health, Jobs, and Systems. Together we began working on developing a national agenda on Jewish poverty.

So much has changed in the past year, but a national agenda is more important than ever. Now, though, we need a near-to-midterm Covid-19 national agenda, and our working groups have been developing funder briefings with assessments of need, overviews of communal response with a bright spot showcase, as well as a section focused on investment opportunities – to demonstrate where philanthropic investment can make a difference. We have asked the working groups to consider the following:

• What are the top 2-3 overall messages that funders should know about your field, given what you’ve experienced?

• What promising initiatives are you seeing underway? What initiatives do you think the field needs to see? Are any initiatives addressing both short-term needs as well as addressing longer-term structural issues?

• What do you see as the top 2-3 immediate needs? For the second half of 2020?

• What information can you share about Emergency Funds, Pivots, Innovation & Technology, and Partnerships and sustainability in your field?

Whether you are a member of a working group or not, we encourage you to share your ideas and information. And we look forward to sharing the information we’ve gathered. Now that Covid-19 has magnified the issues of Jewish poverty, putting it high on our community’s agenda, we have the incredible opportunity to help shape the response and the investment.

Catch Up on Our Covid-19 Briefing Series

The National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty has been hosting a series of webinars and virtual meetups to discuss the many difficulties the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews facing poverty and the agencies that serve them. We have been hearing the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, share best practices and information, and strategize on ways to respond collectively. Each webinar features key leaders and focuses on particular needs, aligned to our working groups.

Thank you to all of you who have participated in our first three webinars:

• Food Insecurity and Housing (May 14)
• Older Adults and Mental Health (May 26 )
• Systemic Change (June 9)

Catch up on any you missed by watching them at the links above, on JFN’s Covid-19 Response site, and on the National Affinity Group for Jewish Poverty section of the JFN site; we will be adding future webinars as videos become available.

You can find more videos and other key resources on the Resource Hub and the Human Services North America Needs & Responses sections of the Covid-19 Response site. Please reach out to Julie Wiener, JFN’s communications director, with any updates or other feedback about the videos and other materials on the website.

Covid Relief Fund for Jews of Color

The Jews of Color Field Building Initiative has launched a COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund for people of color in the Jewish community who are experiencing financial hardships as a result of the Covid-19 crisis and economic fallout.

“Systemic racism is amplifying the impact of COVID-19 on Jews of color and all people of color in the U.S,” said Ilana Kaufman, executive director of the Jews of Color Field Building Initiative, in an article in eJewish Philanthropy. “We need to get funds into the hands of the most vulnerable, many of whom struggle daily to pay bills and put food on the table. And we are committed to both inviting applications and disbursing funds in ways that are transparent and reflect a welcoming environment for Jews of color.”

Individuals in need can apply for help ranging from $250-$2,500 – to be spent on basic necessities such as rent or mortgage payments, food, medical bills — at jewsofcolorinitiative.org/resources. The relief fund requires minimal documentation concerning finances, and awards are being made on a rolling basis rather than first-come, first-serve.

Eligible applicants are people of color in the Jewish community living in the U.S., including those who self-identify as Jewish, those who work or have worked for a Jewish communal organization, and those affiliated with organizations in the Jewish community.

—Bright Spot—

Reaching Out to Isolated Seniors

While many people have come to rely on technology, especially Zoom, to cope with the isolation of social distancing, that’s not an option for the clients of Northeast NORC, a Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia program serving 1,700 seniors across six ZIP codes of the city. Northeast NORC’s mostly Jewish clients, whose incomes are below 250 percent of the federal poverty line, tend to live alone in aging homes and “are not tablet- or Zoom-savvy to say the least,” says Brian Gralnick, the Federation’s director of social responsibility.

That’s why when social distancing measures went into place and in-person activities became impossible, Northeast NORC quickly ramped up a decidedly low-tech program: Phone-a-Friend. The program mobilizes and trains (training video available here) volunteers to have phone conversations with Northeast NORC clients one to three times a week. Before the quarantine, the program had about a dozen volunteers and 15 clients. As of June 1, it had grown tenfold, and volunteers, who generally make 20-30-minute calls twice a week, have collectively logged more than 300 hours on the phone. After each phone call, volunteers record their interaction and share emergency needs or other concerns that came up in the conversation, so that Northeast NORC staff can identify and provide other social services to clients as needed.

According to Gralnick, many of the volunteers and older adults are eager to meet in person once the pandemic is over, and the older adults say they are grateful not to be forgotten amid the pandemic. “Unfortunately, for some of our members this is the only interaction they’re going to have with another person that day,” Gralnick says.

• Read about one volunteer’s experience with Phone-A-Friend.
• To learn more about Phone-a-Friend, including its training and recruitment strategies, contact Brian Gralnick at [email protected].

—Special Request—

Help Us Get the Word Out

Public relations and communications can seem like a luxury for human service groups at times like these. However, to ensure that we secure much-needed resources, it is vitally important that all of us keep getting the word out about our work. To that end, we are hoping to create a more active social media presence, and you can help us amplify each other's work by sharing your organization’s Twitter and Facebook handles with the Affinity Group. We are also building a Twitter list to help follow each other’s news. You can also help by making sure that you, or whoever manages social media for your organization, follow Jewish Funders Network (@jfunders) and the Harry and Jeannette Weinberg Foundation (@hjweinbergfdn) on Twitter and Facebook. And don’t forget to email us your news, especially “bright spots” so we can feature them in this newsletter and elsewhere.

—From the Field—

Life on Welfare Isn’t What Most People Think It Is (The Conversation, June 11)

A Gates-Led Donor Collaborative Awards $2.8 Million to Change Attitudes on Poverty (Chronicle of Philanthropy, June 10)

Some Realistic Solutions for Income Inequality (The Hill, June 10)

Met Council Unveils New App to Report Domestic Abuse (New York Jewish Week, June 9)

Food Banks and Other Key Programs Have Received a Fraction of Allotted Coronavirus Money, Angering Some Lawmakers (The Washington Post, June 8)

In Los Angeles, Big Donors and Public Schools Team up on Food Insecurity (Inside Philanthropy, June 5)

As COVID-19 Escalates the Housing Crisis, Funds Flow to Help Low-Income Renters (Inside Philanthropy, June 2)

Hunger Program’s Slow Start Leaves Millions of Children Waiting (New York Times, May 26)

Food Banks Get the Love, But SNAP Does More to Fight Hunger (NPR, May 22)

Dancing between Light and Shadow – Increasing Awareness of the Impact of Covid 19 Disparities on Jews of Color (eJewish Philanthropy, May 21)

In Boston, a Jewish Agency Tackles ‘Shocking’ Poverty and Homelessness (The Forward, May 15)

Podcast: How the Covid-19 Pandemic May Affect Poverty Reduction Efforts (Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 12)

Cutbacks at Social-Service Groups on the Rise, Poll Finds
(Chronicle of Philanthropy, May 11)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

MAY 2020 

Dear Friend,

I hope you and your loved ones are staying healthy. As the pandemic has wreaked havoc on our world, no one has been harder hit by its health and economic effects than the families and individuals already living in poverty. We are also aware that COVID-19 has increased those among us who are struggling, with more than 33 million Americans filing for unemployment since mid-March.

I am grateful, at least, that we entered this challenging time having already begun the hard and important work of coordinating our efforts to fight Jewish poverty. In this month’s newsletter, we report on the critical work affinity group members are doing to respond to Covid-19 and its ripple effects, ranging from unemployment to food insecurity to increased domestic violence. We also share news about an important webinar series that starts this Thursday, and a new JFN resource we hope you will find useful.

Let’s continue to stay in close contact in the coming months, as our work is more urgently needed than ever. And please continue to share your feedback and ideas.

Warmly,

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

A Series of Briefings on Poverty and the Impact of Covid-19

Over the coming months, the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty will be hosting a series of webinars and virtual meetups (the first one, focused on food insecurity and housing, is this Thursday, May 14, from 1-2 p.m. Eastern) to discuss the many difficulties the coronavirus pandemic has created for Jews facing poverty and the agencies that serve them. We will hear the needs from the service providers on the ground supporting our front lines, share best practices and information, and strategize on ways to respond collectively.

Each webinar will feature key leaders and focus on particular needs, aligned to the affinity group’s sub-groups. The first one one Thursday, May 14 from 1-2pm ET will focus on food insecurity and housing. The following two webinars will be take place on Tuesday, May 26th from 12-1pm ET and Tuesday, June 9th from 12-1pm ET – please hold the dates. This Thursday’s session on food insecurity and housing will include JFN Board Member Jeffrey Schoenfeld, Jessica Chait, Managing Director of Food Programs at Met Council on Jewish Poverty, and Lisa Budlow, CEO of CHAI Baltimore. RSVP for this Thursday.

If you register for the webinar this Thursday, we will ensure you get reminders for the next briefings. And if you missed our March webinar on “Supporting Vulnerable Populations During Covid-19,” you can watch a recording of it here.

—Responding to Covid-19—

Affinity Group Members Respond to Covid-19

As the coronavirus disrupts the lives of our most vulnerable populations, dramatically increases unemployment and makes it more challenging to provide many of the direct in-person services, agencies and federations are stepping up to the plate to ease the situation. Just a few examples:

• UJA-Federation of New York is investing more than $45 million in grants to expand food distribution, offer virtual programming for homebound seniors and Holocaust survivors, support the operational capacity of key human service agencies, and offer wide range of services for Jews in poverty in both Israel and New York;
• Chicago’s Jewish United Fund created a $26 million coronavirus initiative to be used for emergency financial aid, including cash grants for housing, food, medical care and other essentials for individuals and families.
• The Jewish Federation of San Diego County, Jewish Community Foundation of San Diego and Leichtag Foundation partnered to establish the San Diego Jewish Community COVID-19 Emergency Fund to support those who are most vulnerable and impacted in San Diego’s Jewish community. As of May 1, it had raised $2.1 million and deployed $537,000, with grants to organizations and rabbis working directly with those in need, as well as payroll assistance for local Jewish organizations.

Getting Much-Needed Personal Protective Equipment to Agencies

In April, the Jewish Federations of North America, JFN and the North American Volunteer Network (which includes alumni and members of the AEPI fraternity) teamed up to help procure much-needed equipment for Jewish nursing homes, hospices, home care and other social service providers. Just last week we delivered one million surgical masks, 500,000 gowns and 400,000 gloves to Jewish nursing homes and other social service providers.

Because all this equipment is far more costly now than usual, we’re raising money so that these agencies don’t have to cover the difference between the normal price (which they will pay) and the current one. You can support this project in a few ways:

1. JFN is acting as a fiscal aggregator, so you can donate through us by emailing Deena Fuchs at [email protected].
2. From now through the end of May, JFNA is running Pledge to Protect, a crowdfunding campaign with the goal of raising $3 million through 100,000 donations. Donate through Pledge to Protect.

Please feel free to share this with your networks.

Supporting Domestic Violence Victims

In addition to pushing more individuals into poverty and disproportionately hurting those already in poverty, Covid-19 has had another pernicious effect: increased rates of domestic violence. Domestic violence, exacerbated by victims being more isolated at home with their abuser and families' increasingly high stress levels, is the leading cause of homelessness for women and children.

Many service providers are stepping up to meet the increased need as a result of the pandemic. The Berkeley, Calif.-based Shalom Bayit, for example, is offering phone-based support groups and individual counseling, safety planning for victims while they are in lockdown, and is continuing to offer many of its other services with some modifications. The Met Council on Jewish Poverty, in New York, has expanded its family violence hotline (previously mostly during weekday office hours), with social workers now on call from 8 a.m. to midnight Sunday through Thursday, and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fridays. Met Council leaders recently told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that the number of new victims coming for help has doubled and that they expect to see an even bigger increase “when stay-at-home orders are lifted and victims are able to call without fear of their abusers finding out.”

Recommended Articles on This Topic:

• Domestic Violence Hotline Doubles Its Hours During Stay-At-Home Orders (JTA, April 30)
• For Domestic Violence Advocates, Calls Are Down But Need Is Going Up (Forward, April 23)
• A New Covid-19 Crisis: Domestic Abuse Rises Worldwide (New York Times, April 14)

Making the Case for Giving

The Network of Jewish Human Services Agencies, an Affinity Group member, has drafted a new document capturing the impact of COVID-19 on its member agencies and the communities they serve, and to elevate the  Network’s case for giving among the many “asks” that are out there. Much of the content of this document is the result of an analysis of a financial impact survey administered in March, as well as from anecdotal feedback which has come forth from a series of meetings we have convened with the agencies as the pandemic continued to evolve.

The hope is that agencies can adapt the document with their own data and local details, for fundraising use locally. Download it here.

New JFN Resource Available

JFN recently launched an easy-to-navigate website that is both a resource hub and a catalog describing the many needs created by the coronavirus pandemic and tracking the philanthropic responses. The Human Services in North America section contains extensive information and resources about services for Jews in poverty, including relevant articles, webinars, news and other materials. Make sure to check it regularly, and please let us know if you have information to add to it.

—In the News—

For Jews Hit Hard by the Pandemic, a New Worry — Not Having Enough Food (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 11)

Nonprofit Ensures NYC Holocaust Survivors Are Fed Amid Coronavirus (New York Post, May 10)

A Bipartisan Group of Lawmakers Want to Empower FEMA to Meet America’s Growing Hunger Crisis (Washington Post, May 7) 

As Hunger Swells, Food Stamps Become a Partisan Flash Point (New York Times, May 6) 

Vulnerable Jewish Communities Are Suffering Through This Crisis. We Must Not Forget Them When It’s Over (Jewish Telegraphic Agency, May 5)

Food Banks Can’t Go On Like This (The Atlantic, May 5) 

A Gloomy Prediction on How Much Poverty Could Rise (New York Times, April 16) 

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

MARCH 2020 

Dear Friend,

I hope that, despite the coronavirus and the many disruptions and uncertainty it is causing, you are staying healthy and will still manage to enjoy Purim tonight and tomorrow. While we weren't thinking about the holiday (or the virus) when we decided to schedule the National Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty newsletter for the second week of each month, sending this out on Purim feels right, since giving gifts to those in need is one of the holiday's mitzvot.

Of course our work in this group isn't merely to give to people experiencing poverty, but to develop comprehensive, coordinated solutions and address the structural challenges that make it so difficult for people to escape poverty. With that in mind, I'm delighted this month to highlight the important work happening in Philadelphia, where five Jewish agencies have come together to do just that. Know of another bright spot or something else we should be aware of as we tackle Jewish poverty? Don't be shy — we want to hear from you!

This newsletter also shares information about our upcoming meeting and work being done to alleviate poverty in the San Diego Jewish community. Please let us know if you have news to share for next month's newsletter, and please stay healthy! 

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

Our next meeting will be held at the Network of Jewish Human Service Agencies (NJHSA)’s Third Annual Conference – May 3-5, in Dallas. Please join us on Tuesday, May 5, for a post-conference workshop designed to provide opportunities for shared learning, issues-oriented workgroup planning, and community and regional collaboration. If you are part of one of the affinity group’s six sub-groups interested in developing an anti-poverty initiative in your community, or if you want to help catalyze this national movement, this meeting is for you! Please RSVP here.

—News from the Field—

San Diego Jews Convene on Poverty

On Feb. 26, San Diego’s Jewish Community Foundation, Jewish Family Service, and Jewish Federation — as well as the Isakow Foundation, held a community-wide convening on tackling poverty in the local Jewish community. Participants explored how to develop an integrated model of navigating and delivering services to those experiencing poverty while avoiding unnecessary bureaucracy and building on the strengths of various Jewish, secular and governmental service providers.

At the convening the four partners shared this new report, which estimates that poverty touches up to 20 percent of the approximately 50,000 Jewish households in San Diego County. The report, based on analysis of previous community studies and interviews with relevant community professionals, found that local Jews in poverty are often unaware of their eligibility for government benefits and that there currently is no centralized navigation system of financial and other resources to serve the Jewish community. Read the report here. 

—Bright Spots—

Philadelphia Coordinates Services for Jews Experiencing Poverty

Seniors enjoy a program at Federation Housing, where they have access to services from various agencies. 

In Philadelphia, more than a quarter of the population lives below the poverty line, making it the poorest of America’s 10 largest cities. And a new Jewish Federation community study finds that 10 percent of the Jewish population is at an income level low enough for food stamp eligibility, even as only 43 percent of those are actually receiving food stamps.

Frustrated by their inability to meet needs within the Jewish community, particularly to lift individuals out of poverty, five of the metropolitan area’s Jewish social service agencies began meeting in August to work more collaboratively on Jewish poverty.

With help from Compass, a local organization providing pro bono expertise to nonprofits, the groups — Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Philadelphia (JFCS), JEVS Human Services, the Abramson Center for Jewish Life (senior care), Federation Housing (affordable senior housing) and KleinLife (the Philadelphia JCC) — are interviewing clients and analyzing data to determine whether any services can be consolidated and what more can be done to help the clients escape poverty.

“We’ve learned there’s not as much overlap of services as we thought,” explains Paula Goldstein, president and CEO of JFCS. “Each organization does something slightly different, but we all rely on each other’s services to enhance the quality of life for our clients, because none of us has enough resources to do it on our own.”

While the collaborative is still in research mode, Goldstein says members are leaning toward recommending that the Federation Housing model be expanded in order to provide affordable housing for people under age 62. In addition to addressing the critical need for housing, that model, with its centralized residential communities, enables the community to have a one-stop office on-site where residents can access services from multiple Jewish agencies at once.

“We are a work in progress, but hell bent on finding a way to collaborate, because we know we need to,” Goldstein says.

To learn more, contact Paula Goldstein at [email protected].

—In the News—

City Council Releases Plan to Reduce Philadelphia Poverty by 25 Percent (Philly Voice)

Women Holocaust Survivors Find Joy in Fighting Poverty (New York Times)

2020 Federal Poverty Guidelines: Why It Might Get Harder to Be Considered Poor Under Trump (USA Today)

Poverty Is All About Personal Stress, Not Laziness (Bloomberg)

Can Chicago Address Poverty Without Displacing the Rich? (Nonprofit Quarterly)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

FEBRUARY 2020 

Dear friend,

Thank you so much for your involvement in the Affinity Group on Jewish Poverty. To keep you up to date on our important work, I am delighted to share this inaugural edition of our monthly newsletter.

Below, you'll find details about a new initiative to get more and better data on Jewish poverty. You'll also find a link to the report generated from our meeting at FedLab. And we've highlighted a bright spot in the field: what Hunter College Hillel is doing to address food insecurity among Jewish students. Know of another bright spot or something else we should be aware of as we tackle Jewish poverty? Don't be shy — we want to hear from you!

We also want to hear what’s working in this affinity group and ways in which we can do better. As a peer network, we are all learning and growing. Your feedback — good and less good — is essential to the process. 

Deena K. Fuchs
Executive Vice President
Jewish Funders Network
[email protected]

—Save the Date—

Our next meeting will be held at the NJHSA’s Third Annual Conference – May 3-5, in Dallas. The affinity group will meet on Tuesday, May 5, at the conclusion of the conference. We will share more information on the agenda and program next month. 

—Highlighting Our Work—

Better Data Is on the Way

The scarcity of accurate and aligned data on poverty and financial insecurity was one of many challenges identified at our inaugural meeting in Chicago last year. We’re pleased to announce that Jewish Federations of North America, in partnership with the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, is addressing this challenge head-on by offering financial incentives encouraging Federations to include poverty-related questions in their upcoming community demographic studies. JFNA will provide $50,0000 grants to 10 Jewish Federations that commit to including a standard set of questions related to poverty, as well as committing to a plan to utilize the data. The grants will also require questions on race and ethnicity, in collaboration with Jews of Color Field Building Initiative (JoC-FBI).

Having more consistent data on poverty and economic insecurity will enable us to be more effective at serving Jews in need and dramatically reducing Jewish poverty. The core sets of questions are available upon request from the JFNA research department, and details on how to apply for a grant will be released soon. For more information, please contact Laurence Kotler-Berkowitz at [email protected].

Report from FedLab

At JFNA’s FedLab Conference in November, we engaged in a series of dynamic learnings and discussions on key issues relevant to the Jewish human services agenda, with a particular focus on poverty, older adults, and people with disabilities. Check out the full “lab report” here.

—Bright Spots—

At Hunter Hillel, Addressing Food Insecurity 

The Jewish students at Hunter College, part of the City University of New York system, face a full plate of responsibilities: schoolwork, part-time jobs and family obligations, made harder by time spent commuting.

Add to that, a UJA-Federation of New York study last year found that more than half of Hunter’s Jewish students reported feeling food insecure.

Fortunately, there is always food available at Hunter College Hillel, where food accounts for over 67 percent of the program budget. “Our food budget reflects both the reality of the problem here in New York City and Hillel’s commitment to serving the needs of students,” explains Hunter Hillel’s executive director, Merav Fine Braun. “We seek to nourish students in both body and soul.”

Braun and her team keep the student lounge supplied with healthy snacks and encourage students to stop in throughout the school day. In addition, food is served at most Hillel activities, including classes and meetings. And when the organization hosts Shabbat meals, take-home containers are available so students can bring home any leftovers. Braun says she and her team have heard from many students that without Hillel, they would miss meals.

“Knowing we’re there for them makes a huge difference in lessening their stress and helping them stay committed to both their college classes and their Judaism,” Braun says. To learn more email Braun at [email protected].

—In the News—

Trump Budget Contains Nearly $300B in Safety-Net Cuts (NPR)

Unaffordable Rental Housing May Be 'New Normal' in United States (Reuters)

Cities Prepare for the Worst as Trump's Food Stamps Cuts Near (New York Times)

Stepping Around Human Misery (National Review)

Be sure to check out the collection of articles we published last year in partnership with eJewish Philanthropy. 

Up to 40% of the food produced in the United States is wasted, while one in five Americans is unsure where their next meal is coming from. Similar statistics are true in Israel and throughout much of Europe.

This webinar brings together field experts Lisa Moon, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Global Food Banking Network, Michal Bitterman, CEO and Co Founder of The Natural Step, and Aviva Paley, Senior Director and Co-Founder of Kitchens for Good, to discuss models for changing how we approach food waste and food rescue, and explore how philanthropy can work towards a more sustainable food system. Mitchell Davis, Chief Strategy Officer of the James Beard Foundation, moderates.