JFCS Spotlight - August 2023

A recent report shows that there is a severe shortage of affordable rental homes for low-income families in New Jersey, with nearly 250,000 homes needed. To make matters worse, there are very few pathways for struggling families to can gain relief. So where do people turn to when they have to choose between feeding their families and paying their rent/utilities? Anybody in this situation, when realizing that they have no support system, can enter a state of extreme helplessness and, even, desperation.

How does JFCS respond to calls for help from those in the community who are in a state of financial distress? Our Basic Needs Assistance pillar of service is specifically designed to tackle these very issues. When an individual or family seeks our support due to financial insecurity, we do what we can to provide short-term assistance to ensure a roof is over their heads and food is on their table. But our goal is always to help create a plan that addresses the immediate stressors while also working toward long term sustainability and happiness. This is done through compassionate and respectful case management services that include advocating for our clients, helping them access government benefits, coaching for a new job search, or assisting with budgeting and household management.

We recently helped a young woman who lost both her job and health insurance, which made her feel extremely overwhelmed. She called JFCS for help and was assigned a case manager. We immediately provided her with emergency funds to pay her overdue rent and helped her access affordable temporary insurance on the exchange. We also recommended that she see one of our therapists right away for a mental health assessment. Through the work done with her therapist, she began to regain her confidence and her outlook on her future improved. At the same time, she worked with our case manager to apply for affordable housing and worked with our Re-Launch coach on a job search. Energized and newly hopeful, she was able to find a job that provides health insurance and growth potential. Although she is no longer in a state of emergency, she knows that JFCS is here for her if she needs the extra support again in the future.

Emergency financial assistance might be the immediate lifeline that an individual or family needs, but it is the entire JFCS team that is committed to helping those in distress achieve hope and an improved quality of life.

Dear JFCS family,

At JFCSNNJ, we are revving up for fall when new beginnings happen for the children and teens in our lives, some of us are starting new jobs, and just about everyone’s pace accelerates. It’s an exciting time for most as we begin to think about the High Holidays and the beautiful autumn season to come. Sadly, many in our own community are consumed, instead, with worry and stress related to real-life situations over which they have no control and for which they have no solution and no family or friends who can help. Calls to JFCS for emergency assistance are way up this year. I am referring to older adults and families being evicted and needing help with housing; children requiring essential special services that are non-reimbursable; seniors needing medical equipment that is not covered by insurance to remain in their homes; as well as a large car repair without which this person cannot get to work - the stories go on and on and on.

So, while life for most of us is relatively smooth, at JFCS, our entire team is working, every single day, to help those among us who are most vulnerable and for whom we are the support system and safety net. Because of the generosity of our donors and the vision of our institutional funders, JFCS is able to answer the calls of those in need. We are so grateful to all of you who are part of the “we” who understand that we all share in the responsibility to help and that at any moment, it could be us or one of our loved ones who will be in need.

Wishing you a glorious rest of summer!!!!

Susan