JFCS' mission is to alleviate suffering and help people of all ages develop and maintain their highest level of functioning through the provision of comprehensive professional and volunteer social services. JFCS helps people facing personal crises and challenges. We are here for the whole community with over 40 programs. Our overall goal is to help people solve the problems in their lives, meeting community needs, anticipating societal trends, and responding to economic conditions that place increased stress on families, adults, and isolated seniors. Environmental scans and community feedback have informed our development of new programs to meet increasing demand for services in the areas of dementia care, palliative care, physical therapy and rehab for seniors, a center for children with special needs and their parents, and community service and volunteering programs for youth and young professionals.

JFCS operates more than 40 comprehensive, integrated social service programs, which offer tailored help to diverse members of our community in the most effective and compassionate ways possible. We undertake a rigorous strategic planning process every three years to ensure that our programs both identify and respond to changing community dynamics and needs. Case management and related services, tangible assistance, and early identification and prevention services continue to be our top priorities. Our services are provided to three key demographic groups: children, youth, and families through Parents Place; older adults through Seniors At Home; and working-age adults. JFCS is here for everybody, at any time. As such, we have 16 committees that meet frequently to address such areas as Program and Planning, Public Issues, and specific JFCS programs. More than 300 community volunteers serve on active committees.

We were founded in 1850 and have been growing ever since. In fact, we are one of the oldest charities west of the Mississippi. We treat all our clients with respect and dignity, and do everything we can so they don't have to work through their problems alone. We provide help with a wide range of issues, including: illness, grief, the challenges of aging, parenting dilemmas, disability, adoption, childhood developmental problems, domestic violence, hunger, bullying, financial issues, and much more. This breadth of services allows us to be a one-stop shop to help with complex issues through a comprehensive system of care. Our interdisciplinary professional teams bring years of experience to every client who walks through our doors. Furthermore, as a national leader in developing innovative human services, we incorporate the latest research and best practice to ensure that all clients receive the highest-quality services and care.

All JFCS programs are reviewed annually by management staff and by the Program and Planning Committee, a standing committee of the Board of Directors. Through analysis of data captured through the JFCS client activity databases, periodic survey responses, and reviews with clinical staff, the organization continually assesses volume, service, and outcomes to evaluate the degree to which clients' goals were met and to gather information to improve service delivery. Furthermore, organization-wide analysis is ongoing through our comprehensive Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) system, a process developed in partnership with the Harvard Business School, to identify, describe, and analyze strengths and problems, and then test, implement, learn from, and revise solutions. We measure our progress by analyzing these outcomes, as well as tracking levels of service for our agency and our programs.

Over the past year JFCS continued the 168-year tradition of being the problem-solving agency. Through a robust suite of evidence-based social and educational programs designed to strengthen individuals, strengthen families, and strengthen the community, JFCS served as a resource for the local Jewish community, regardless of the ability to pay for services. Last year alone more than 80,000 people across the West Bay Area received the help. JFCS' Seniors At Home provided 460,000 hours of home care that enabled 17,000 seniors in our community to live safe, healthy lives in their own homes. Our Parents Place Family Resource Centers provided 21,000 people with evidence-based resources, workshops, and consultations with expert clinicians to support healthy family functioning and the highest outcomes for all children. Our JFCS Holocaust Center reached 20,000 people through professional development workshops and events for students in middle school through graduate school.