Annual Report 2006-07 >

Letter from the Presidet & Executive Director
This year was marked by a variety of experiences that provided opportunities for the future, yet represented one of the major challenges facing JFS- maintaining fiscal balance. The latter will be studied at a retreat meeting of the Board in September, 2007. The agency undertook new initiatives and maintained all of the programs and services that it had the prior year, basically with a part time staff, together with an active and involved Board. Among the new initiatives were the Health & Wellness program funded through the Blue Ribbon Foundation, and the Adopt a Holocaust Victim program that matches a teenager with a Holocaust survivor or family. The Arts and Culture Committee was very active, helping to plan, develop, and implement events that attracted new audiences for JFS.

A highlight was the annual meeting in May that honored Rabbi Larry and Gerri Kaplan and attracted the largest audience in the history of JFS annual meetings. Kids Care Club projects continued in large numbers and are scheduled to increase even more in coming years. The Jewish Caregiver Assistance program was refunded through a special grant from the John Passan Foundation in memory of his mother, and clinical seminars were started, with more being planned for this new fiscal year.

The NEPA Intergenerational Coalition and the Elder Issues Coalition were part of a growing system of partnering that JFS is engaging within the community. Community Forums co-sponsored by JFS and the JCC continued, and the Annual Friends Campaign raised over $30,000. The Children and Youth Committee spearheaded a survey of Jewish youngsters that was funded by the Rosenberg Endowment.

Near the end of the fiscal year, some new announcements were made with the approval of the IRS for the new JFS Foundation, Inc, designed to reach a goal of $1.1 million for the first ever JFS endowment, approval of a grant from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania for Kids Care Club, thanks to the work of State Senator Ray Musto, and approval of several smaller grants for special projects.

On behalf of the JFS Board of Directors, we thank all of our funders, our partners, our clients, or supporters for all of their commitment to making JFS a very special, caring organization whose mission statement says who and what we are: "To preserve and enhance the quality of life of the child, the adult and the family in accordance with Jewish tradition and values".