August 2025

Our Contra Costa team has a new home!

You can now find us at:

2300 Clayton Road, Suite 350,

Concord, CA 94520

Our Alameda County office is remains at: 2484 Shattuck Avenue, Suite 210, Berkeley, CA 94704

Both offices are open and ready to serve our community. The new Concord space already feels like home, and we can’t wait to welcome clients!

A huge thank-you to Elizabeth, our incredible office manager, for making this move smooth and successful.

In fiscal year 2024-2025, our Children, Youth & Family program provided over 2,500 hours of trauma-informed care to more than 150 children, youth, and families across Alameda County. We serve diverse communities, including Jewish families, refugee clients, and children in highly impacted child development centers in Oakland who are facing complex challenges.

This past year has been especially tough, with political and policy pressures hitting immigrant and refugee families hard. Despite these challenges, our dedicated team has stood strong, providing crucial support to help families overcome crises and build resilience.

We are proud to be a trusted source of healing and hope in these uncertain times.

Our mental health services for Children, Youth & Families (CYF) are grounded in the belief that everyone deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported. JFCS East Bay’s Racial Justice Advisory Team (RJAT) has provided input and our Berkeley office has begun to take important steps to create a more welcoming environment for immigrant, BIPOC, and LGBTQ+ communities.

For those who visit our office, you’ll soon notice new symbols of safety and inclusion displayed proudly on our walls. These visual reminders show that this is a space where clients and staff alike can feel respected and affirmed. These symbols and efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to fostering belonging and understanding for all who walk through our doors.

When Ruth (name changed for confidentiality) reached out to JFCS East Bay for clinical services, she was taking a meaningful step toward caring for her mental health. A longtime member of the Jewish community, Ruth had never connected with us before, but now she felt ready to seek support.

Through our intake process, Ruth shared that she was looking for individual therapy services tailored to Jewish community members. While she had navigated life’s challenges with resilience, she wanted a safe space to process her feelings, strengthen her coping skills, and reconnect with her own sense of well-being.

Thanks to the Jewish Community Safety Net (JCSN), which helps fund essential mental health services for Jewish community members, our Children, Youth & Families and Adult Services teams worked together to match Ruth with an experienced therapist. That connection offered more than professional support. It gave Ruth a place where she felt welcomed, understood, and seen.

By creating spaces where Jewish community members can access culturally responsive care, JFCS East Bay, through the support of JCSN, affirms our commitment to the mental and emotional well-being of all who come through our doors.

Your generosity can ensure that people like Ruth are never left without support. If you’d like to make a gift, please click on the link below.

Danna joined JFCS East Bay to pursue her passion for mental health while serving families of color and individuals from diverse backgrounds. As a trauma-informed therapist, she values the opportunity to support communities that have historically faced systemic barriers.

In her role, Danna provides mental health services to children and adolescents, conducts assessments, develops treatment plans, and collaborates with families, schools, and other providers to ensure comprehensive care. One of her proudest achievements has been building strong cross-department collaborations, which have strengthened our ability to support families and created a sense of shared purpose across the organization.

Danna’s work plays a vital role in creating safe, supportive, and healing spaces for children and adolescents by helping build resilience and stronger communities. Outside of work, she enjoys being in nature, hiking new trails, and traveling to recharge and stay grounded.

We’re thrilled to welcome Gary Forman to the JFCS East Bay Board of Directors as Treasurer. With a background in both dentistry and business, Gary brings decades of leadership experience in finance, operations, and campus services, along with a deep commitment to community service. Originally from New York, he now calls California home while still searching for the perfect pizza and bagels.

Read more about Gary here.

This summer, our group ESL classes have flourished thanks to the dedication and passion of our talented instructors: Liz, Linda, and Jennifer. Each brings a unique teaching style, creating a supportive and welcoming environment where clients can learn and grow together.

Liz focuses on practical conversation skills, helping clients build confidence in everyday interactions. Linda emphasizes grammar and reading, guiding groups patiently through the foundations of the language. Jennifer brings creative energy to her sessions, using games and real-world scenarios to make learning both fun and relevant.

Together, they have created a nurturing space where clients not only improve their English skills but also build community and gain the confidence to succeed. We are deeply grateful for their commitment to helping our group class participants thrive!

At JFCS East Bay, our commitment to serving the community is rooted in collaboration. We’re excited to announce the deepening of our partnership with the Muslim Community Center East Bay of Pleasanton, a local organization dedicated to uplifting families and individuals through generous support programs.

With our bike donation program recently concluding, we’re proud to refer clients in need of bikes and household items directly to the Muslim Community Center. This partnership ensures that community members continue to have access to essential resources, fostering stability and independence.

We invite our volunteers and supporters to join us in contributing to this effort by donating gently used bikes and household items to the Muslim Community Center. Your generosity can help keep families moving and create safe, comfortable homes.



Together, JFCS East Bay and the Muslim Community Center are working hand in hand to build a stronger, more connected community.

To learn more about how you can support or volunteer, please click here.

The new Concord Immigration Courthouse gives us an incredible opportunity to create a welcoming, supportive environment for immigrant families, and we need your help!

IM4HI, in partnership with the Contra Costa Immigrant Rights Alliance (CCIRA), is launching a Welcome Navigator Program through our Legal Empowerment Initiative.

What’s a Welcome Navigator?

Trained volunteers who greet families at court, offer guidance, share resources, and provide compassionate support during a stressful time.

How to Get Involved:

• Attend a Welcome Navigator Training
• Serve as a Court Welcome Navigator

Interested? Click here. Let’s work together to build a Beloved Community in Contra Costa County!

As the new school year begins, getting ready can help reduce stress and set everyone up for success. Here are some easy tips:

• Set a consistent sleep routine to help kids feel rested and focused.
• Organize school supplies and create a homework space to keep things ready and tidy.
• Plan healthy meals and snacks for energy throughout the day.
• Talk openly about feelings to ease any worries about going back to school.
• Connect with teachers to stay informed and involved.
• Balance schoolwork with play and rest for overall well-being.

Need extra support? JFCS East Bay is here to help your family thrive this school year!