Volunteer at JFS!

Last weekend, a group of more than 40 volunteers gathered at JFS to put together 600 goody bags for Reel Hope, the agency’s annual movie premiere fundraiser, and to sort Thanksgiving food generously donated by community members.

David Rabb, Weinberg Food Pantry manager, says, “These volunteers did a great job to create 250 baskets of Thanksgiving food. And to top it off, while everyone was working, many people came to drop off turkeys and other food for Thanksgiving. The response by the community in donating holiday goods was overwhelming and much appreciated by the Family Safety Net department and all of JFS. Also, a special thank you to the Denver Rescue Mission for donating 175 turkeys to the Food Pantry."

Today, the hard work paid off. By 7:00 a.m., an uprecedented number of people were lined up outside of the Food Pantry (which does not open until 10:00 a.m.) waiting to receive one of the many Thanksgiving baskets. 18 volunteers and 11 staff members, ranging in age from six to sixty, distributed baskets to approximately 152 households or 350 individuals in a three hour time span. For those of you paying attention to the calculations, you will notice we have about 100 baskets that were not given out today. No worries, we will give our clients these baskets on Christmas Eve.

Speaking of Christmas (or Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or whatever you celebrate), we are in need of people who would like to adopt a family for the holidays. Through our Bright Holidays program, JFS clients make a wish list and individuals, families, and corporations purchase gifts the clients might not otherwise receive. If you are interested in participating in the Bright Holidays program, please email Shelly Hines.

Thanks again to everyone who donated time, food, or money in an effort to make Thanksgiving a wonderful holiday for all in our community. JFS greatly appreciates your help and so do the families who benefit from your kindness during these tough economic times.

--Alaina Green and Kari Alpen, JFS Marketing Department