by Liz Daube
Staff Writer
After decades of expanding services and several name changes, one of Jacksonville’s oldest nonprofit organizations turns 90 this year.
Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) will celebrate the landmark with a birthday party and fund-raiser April 28. JFCS currently oversees a $7.3 million budget and 90 employees, distributing social services and emergency funds to more than 45,000 people each year.
The Southside nonprofit organization has seen a lot of changes since its beginning in 1917, according to spokeswoman Robin Peters. She said a rabbi started JFCS as a welfare agency in 1917, providing food, shelter and clothing for Jewish immigrants arriving in Jacksonville. Over the years, the group’s mission has expanded to include a range of services for young and old clients from a variety of cultural backgrounds.
“As the agency grew and we became part of the United Way, our client base expanded,” said Peters. “As the area grew and as the needs changed and increased, we’ve always been on the front line.”
Iris Young has been the executive director of JFCS for more than 20 years. She said the organization has added a variety of new programs over the years, which make it difficult to describe. The JFCS Web site lists a broad range of programs: adoption services, older adults services, foster care, financial assistance, counseling support and a food pantry.
“Our mission is still the same, it has not changed,” said Young. “[We still aim] to strengthen the entire community, following the Jewish values of helping people help themselves.”
JFCS gets funding for its programs from a variety of sources, with Family Support Services of North Florida, Inc. at the top of the list. The nonprofit collaborated with the Boys Home Association in 2001 to form Family Support, which is the lead agency for the administration of community-based foster care in Duval County. JFCS is also one of the local lead agencies for the distribution of emergency assistance dollars for rent, utlities and deposits.
JFCS has undergone four name changes in the last century, and the latest title is meant to “recognize the inclusiveness of the agency from cradle to grave.”
Young said the organization wants to expand its services for older adults in coming years, and JFCS is currently in the middle of strategic planning. She added the aging baby boomer generation has started placing more pressure on some adults, who find themselves responsible for elderly parents and young children at the same time. Young calls those adults the “sandwich generation.”
“We want to work with adult children to help them develop strategies for their parents as they age,” said Young. She said those strategies might range from elderly transportation assistance to in-home support services.
“We tend to look at unmet needs in the community and develop innovative ways to respond,” said Young.
One of the biggest challenges the organization faces is government funding, according to Peters. She said JFCS is lucky to have strong local support. Peters said the group has donors and volunteers from local businesses and Jacksonville’s Jewish community – which is “not considered one of the largest populations,” she said, but “is very vibrant and very committed.”
JFCS plans to raise at least $50,000 with its birthday fund-raiser, according to Peters. Tickets are $200. For more information, call 394-5721.