Thank you to H-E-B for highlighting JFS Houston in the Houston Chronicle's recent Giving section!

Please consider taking a minute or two to vote for JFS Houston once a day through October 10th by going to:

Houston Chronicle Charity Ad Give Away. Each vote will earn us $100 in free advertisement funds for 2022! Last year your support helped to earn us over $100,000 in free ad space. We appreciate your votes!

(America's Got Talent Season 14 Winner)

Marc Oster, Jan Zuber Miller, and Rori Feldman invite you to join our online auction prior to the event on November 18th! All are welcome to participate in the JFS LiVE! 2021 Life-Changing Auction that will begin on October 24th. Want an idea of what we have to offer?

Amazing Jewelry that you won't want to miss

Beauty & Body Treatments and Spa Certificates to get you in shape for Spring

Delicious Catered Events and Chef-led Dining Experiences for the foodies in our community

Take a night off from cooking by winning a Restaurant Gift Certificate

VIP Tickets to Sporting Events and Sports Memorabilia for our collectors out there

Store Gift Certificates worth thousands at top shops

Vacation Experiences for adults and kids

This is a great way to support the agency for those that can't come to the event! To be notified of when our Auction Registration will open, please sign up at:

For anyone interested in a corporate sponsorship, please contact Lynae Novominsky at LNovominsky@jfshouston.org or (713) 986-7815. 

All other inquiries, contact Tiffany Dorsey at TDorsey@jfshouston.org or (713) 986-7811. 

Please consider checking out our Sponsorship opportunities for ReelAbilities Houston's 10th Annual Film & Art Festival by going to: Support ReelAbilities Houston. This event takes place due to the generous support of our community and does not use JFS Program funds. This means that all gifts for ReelAbilities go directly to support the technology and expenses of the Festival which allows so many of our events to be held free to the public! Can't afford a sponsorship? Donations of any amount are welcomed at: Supporting the Festival

May their memories be for a blessing! Last month, JFS Houston received four bequests via insurance policies and gifts from wills totalling over $525,000. These gifts will specifically support Celebration Company, Holocaust Survivors, and general JFS services for years to come. To hear the many other stories of individuals and families who have made our caring community a part of their legacy, please go to: HJFF Stories of Caring

Jacob Leon President, Houston Jewish Family Foundation

Fall is finally here! As we head into to the final months of 2021, we reflect on how you, our FRIENDS, have helped us to strengthen family life throughout the community by laying the foundation for self-sufficiency and improving both the social and economic conditions of our clients. But our work is not done! As we continue to transform lives by empowering individuals, families, and communities, the compassion of our FRIENDS helps to ensure that JFS Houston has the financial resources necessary to meet the needs of the community during difficult times. Everything we do is made possible by our FRIENDS!

As you make decisions about your end-of-year giving, we ask that you consider placing Jewish Family Service among your priorities by becoming a FRIEND of JFS today. Simply make a tax deductible FRIENDS donation by going to our Donation Page. Select "Special Campaigns" and then selected "FRIENDS" from the drop-down menu. If you are making this donation in memory or in honor of someone, be sure to include your friend's name and contact information in the Beneficiary section so that we can let them/their family know about your gift of FRIENDship!

October 10th is World Mental Health Day! JFS Houston's Behavioral and Mental Health Services (BMHS) has both direct services to address mental health issues and educational opportunities to lower the stigma of seeking help. We encourage everyone to visit our Events page to learn about all of our mental health programs in which you can participate. Please go to: Calendar of Events.

Thank you to Jason Scheinthal and Eighteen36 for choosing JFS's BMHS department to receive a portion of their October brunch sales. We so admire when businesses keep the community's welfare in mind as a part of their business culture! To find out more, please visit: Brunch at Eighteen36

JFS Houston is proud to support the community with both individualized and group options. All of our group support sessions are facilitated by a rotation of licensed clinicians or master's level clinical intern students under staff supervision. The Zoom interface being accessed is HIPAA compliant and groups will close access 15 minutes after start time. If you have any questions or would prefer to have individual or group therapy/counseling sessions instead of a general support session, you may make an appointment by calling 713-986-7832 or emailing Adult Counseling or completing our online form: Counseling Appointment Request you should receive a response within 2 business days.

To find out more about our FREE support sessions (listed below), please go to: Current Support Groups and register through our website or call 713-986-7832.

Tuesday, 8:00 - 8:30 A.M. NEW TIME!

Middle School: Tuesday, 4:30 - 5:15 P.M.

Upper Elementary: Wednesday, 3:30 - 4:15 P.M.

Monday - Friday

Mondays, 6:00 - 7:00 P.M. at JFS

MEN'S GROUP (55+)

Every Monday, 1:00 - 2:00 P.M. on Zoom

Tuesday, 12:00pm - 1:00 P.M. at JFS (beginning 10/19)

Tuesdays: Oct 26 and Nov 2 EVENINGS

Wednesday, 6:00 - 7:30 P.M.

Thursday, 12:30 - 1:00 P.M.

Thursdays Evenings

Wednesday, 1:00 - 2:00 P.M.

Self-Care Wellness Check-In for all in the community Many of us are willing to help others in need but often forget to take care of ourselves. Take a few minutes to join us to learn about tips and tools to assist with wellness and create self-care check-ins. This is an interactive, online session on October 19th at 7:00pm. This session will be led by JFS Houston Community Intervention Specialist, Gittel Francis, in collaboration with Congregation Emanu El. To learn more and sign up, please go to: Self-Care Tips and Tricks

Self-compassion Skills Group begins this month! Learn mindfulness techniques that will allow you to cope better with difficult emotions and daily stressors. This weekly support group for adults will meet on Thursday evenings (in person) at JFS Houston. This is a fee-based program. For more information please go to: Learn About Self Compassion

Each issue of the Jewish Herald-Voice has a new story of how to BE WELL. Follow advice and guidance from JFS staff weekly in their column: Be Well Articles.

Are you looking for a speaker for a presentation or a professional trainer to support your company or organization? If you are interested in seeing how our staff can provide assistance, please complete our Online Community Speaker Request Form. For our community intervention training for teens or adults to address the issue of deaths by suicide and substance abuse, you can find out more on our Community Intervention page.

As a United Way Agency, JFS Houston has staff that are professionally trained to support those who are struggling with food insecurity, aging, disability issues, disaster recovery, abuse, financial stability, and other issues. If you are in need of support or know someone in SW Houston that could use some professional guidance, please call 713-667-9336 and ask for Case Management or check out more information on our website and complete the intake form at the bottom to receive more direct assistance. If you are outside of southwest Houston, please call 2-1-1 and ask them for assistance to find the agency that can help you.

Wondering how you can take control of your finances and stabilize your future? Join us this coming Thursday at noon as we host a free virtual lunch & learn with our partner The Women's Resource. Upcoming sessions include "Credit Scores & Credit Cards: Making Credit Work for You" (10/7), "Taking Control of Your Debt" (10/21), & "Renting, Buying, and Goals" (11/4). To find out more go to: YourLife Finance Classes

FREE Coaching & Financial Literacy Courses for participants of the CaFE Study The CaFE Study is a large study being conducted by the University of Notre Dame to examine the impact of financial coaching and literacy courses. Notre Dame has partnered with your local JFS and BubbieCare - a network for Home Health Care Workers - in order to offer you this opportunity. This study is for individuals who may be employed or are looking for employment as caregivers and are within or near poverty levels. If you choose to join the CaFE Study, you will be entered into a lottery with a 50:50 chance of receiving the FREE financial coaching and financial courses from your local JFS. The financial coaching and literacy courses being offered for this study are valued at over $1,000. To find out more about this project, please go to: https://www.jfshouston.org/jfs-central/cafe-study If you have any questions about this project or need help filling out the application, please reach out to Jessica Bursten at jbursten@jfshouston.org or by phone at 713-986-7859.

Celebration Company Employee of the Month is Evan W! This means that all products with his artwork found in the Celebration Company Store are 10% off! To find his products or any other items, please go to: Shop Celebration Company. Curbside pick-up is available or you can request FREE delivery in Southwest Houston by using the promo code: SWHOUSTON. If you order $50 or more in products you are eligible for FREE shipping!

Celebrating Healthy Relationships is ideal for individuals who have a disability (aged 21-36) and are interested in learning about healthy adult relationships and how to navigate them. This program is led by Jillian Bissar (LCSW) and is an in-person 6-week course that meets every Monday beginning October 4th and will include Kosher dinner. To learn more about the topics which will be discussed and to register please go to: Celebrating Healthy Relationships

Got a Mitzvah Mix in your pantry? Celebration Company's honey-less “honey” cake mix is a great item to keep in your pantry for a special breakfast, brunch, or snack treat and the proceeds go towards supporting this program for adults with disabilities! The mix is a quick and easy treat to make when company is coming or when you just have an urge for something home baked! To order a bagged mix or two, please go to this link: Honey-less Honey Cake Mix. We are happy to arrange for easy CURBSIDE pickup for any order or shipping for larger orders.

Don't get caught by surprise... Chanukah begins on Sunday, November 28th! Be sure to stop by our Celebration Company Gift Shop or shop online to make sure that you have everything you need for the holiday, whether it's candles, a menorah, custom paper goods, cards or gifts. We have it all!

Looking for a Transitional Program for Thanksgiving Break? Held during the week of Thanksgiving, our Transitions program is open to high school students who have cognitive disabilities and are interested in exposure to vocational skills including assembly, retail, and culinary. Students participate in an outing as well as a variety of activities which may include art, photography or glass fusing. This is a fee-based program with a limited number of openings. To find out more or to register go to: Learn More About Transitions

For those with disabilities or loved ones who need support due to a disability, JFS Houston can help! Our supportive and transitional entrepreneurial employment program for adults with disabilities, Celebration Company, meets Monday through Friday. For more information about this program, please reach out to Jamie Weiner, Manager of Disability Services via email at: jweiner@jfshouston.org or by phone (713-986-7851).

To show your support of Celebration Company, please follow them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/celebrationco and make sure to like, comment, and share their posts. Most importantly, consider shopping on via their Online Store!

Employment Services provides job search and job coaching services to clients with all abilities, skills, and ages.  

Many thanks to our guest speakers from the recent webinar, Work and Life After 50. They all provided solid and practical advice for launching and navigating a job search. Presentations were informative, enlightening and fun! Thank you to JFS Employment Specialist, Roslyn Rich, and our other presenters included Peggy Osbourn, PhD., Shondra Wygal, Anita Lauhoff, Helen Perry and JFS Volunteer, Roni Singer.

The "Other D" in DEI: Disability Does Not Discriminate. The JFS Alexander Institute for Inclusion is proud to announce our new interactive workshop. This free program features members of the JFS Houston Employment Services Team who will provide hands-on information about working with a disability and how to relate to colleagues and customers with disabilities. It also offers practical skills such as people-first language and inclusive practices. Workshops can be customized to fit the needs of the company as well as your time frame. To learn more, please go to: The "Other D" in DEI.

Complete the Employment Services Intake Form to be assigned your own Career Counselor and receive personalized job search assistance.

We can help you fill your vacancies! JFS has candidates of all levels looking for meaningful employment. If your company has an immediate job opening, please complete our Job Requisition Form.

For clients with a disability, Employment Services partners with Texas Workforce Commission, Vocational Rehabilitation. If you need help with filing your SSI/SSDI benefit form, complete our SSI/SSDI Benefit Assistance Request

If you have questions regarding Employment Services, please reach out to Laura Alter, Helene Maltzman, Roslyn Rich, or Michelle Fredricks.

Thank You to our Rosh Hashana Meal Delivery Volunteers! JFS Houston is thrilled that we were once again able to deliver 100 holiday meals to our clients through the generous support of the Sam Roosth Family Foundation and with the collaboration of Congregation Beth Yeshurun Kosher Catering. We especially thank these volunteers who delivered meals near and far on September 2nd:

In addition to our volunteer drivers, we were able to share a message of sweetness to everyone through the beautiful handmade New Years cards provided by volunteers. This year we especially thank Amy Brazda for adding more cards this year to complete our wishes for a good New Year!

The JFS Volunteer Portal Now Has 178 People! We are getting close to 200 people signing up. Please help us reach this goal! All you have to do is go to the JFS website and click on the “Get Involved” tab. There you will be led to the Volunteer Application. Melanie Cole Goldberg, the JFS Volunteer Coordinator, is available to help with the process of getting signed up. Please make sure you reach out to Melanie if you run into any complications. Her email is: mcolegoldberg@jfshouston.org

VOLUNTEER HIGHLIGHT: Meet Sandy Harris! Sandy is a native Houstonian who has known about JFS all of her life and is so happy and proud to help support the agency as a multifaceted volunteer. Being involved in the Jewish and general communities is part of Sandy’s DNA. Working part-time and wanting to do valuable and satisfying activities, Sandy has helped over the years with MD Anderson, Hadassah, National Council of Jewish Women, Congregation Emanu El, SEARCH Homeless Services, and Meals on Wheels at the JCC. In recent years Sandy has helped JFS by creating COVID Cards of Caring for our Seniors and by being a delivery driver for our holiday meals. Her recent Rosh Hashana meal delivery took her on quite a journey as she doggedly tracked down a JFS client “on the move.” When the beautiful food was delivered, Sandy recalled the client’s gratitude which made the delivery well worth the effort. For anyone who is considering volunteering with JFS, Sandy says, “It is a very good place to put your time and energy! When you see who is receiving the support of the agency, you feel so good about helping JFS achieve its goals!” Sandy’s warmth and enthusiasm is evident in her work as a teacher for “Laughter Yoga” which she shares with seniors in the Houston area. We are fortunate to have her among our cadre of wonderful volunteers and look forward to having her involved with JFS for many years to come.

If you are interested in one of these opportunities, just contact the Volunteer Coordinator, Melanie Cole Goldberg at: mcolegoldberg@jfshouston.org.

Current volunteers should go to the Opportunities tab on the Volunteer Portal. New Volunteers or volunteers not in the Portal should go to: https://www.jfshouston.org/get-involved/volunteer .