Buffalo is 40th community in United States to formalize partnership with KAVOD SHEF
Buffalo, NY – In a collaboration with the Buffalo Jewish Federation and Foundation For Jewish Philanthropies, Jewish Family Services of Western New York announced $40,000 in matching funds from The Joseph Gringlas KAVOD SHEF National Fund and local partners to enhance care and services to Holocaust survivors living in Western New York.
Jewish Family Services will utilize the funding to continue its efforts in providing the community’s remaining Holocaust survivors with urgent and critical health and human services such as dental, vision, medical, food, emergency home care, emergency transportation, emergency home services such as utilities, home repair and rent support, and more.
“Holocaust survivors have earned the right to live out their life in dignity and not have to make the difficult choice between rent, food and medicine,” said Molly S. Carr, Ph.D., chief executive officer, Jewish Family Services of WNY. “JFS along with Jewish Buffalo are proud to partner with KAVOD SHEF to expand these types of support services to survivors who are such an important fabric of our community.”
Pre-pandemic studies indicated that 80,000 Holocaust survivors were living in the United States and more than 30,000 were living at or near poverty levels. Recognizing the critical needs of survivors, Seed the Dream Foundation partnered with KAVOD to establish the KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF) in 2019 to match funding in order to expand vital services while increasing awareness of the significant challenges of the Holocaust survivor population.
Buffalo Jewish Federation’s CEO Rob Goldberg underscored how his organization is honored to be a part of this investment, “Our Holocaust education work through HERO includes support of the small group of survivors in Jewish Buffalo. Partnering with Jewish Family Services and Foundation in identifying funds to match this new investment from KAVOD is critical to ensure that the survivors have what they need to live their lives fully and with dignity.”
Emergency services are just part of the support Jewish Family Services provides to local Holocaust survivors. The organization recently held its first Holocaust survivor lunch attended by 20 survivors and their loved ones to foster a space where socialization and engagement with peers is encouraged.
In the early days of the pandemic, Jewish Family Services began its Friends to Holocaust Survivors program to keep its Jewish community services clients feeling engaged and connected, specifically those who were living in assisted living facilities or at home alone. The program began by having volunteers write and exchange letters or engage in weekly phone calls with those who were isolated.
“Once it was safe to see each other in person again, many of these friendships between volunteers and Holocaust survivors blossomed,” Carr said. “Survivors have told us that the volunteers made them feel less lonely during the pandemic and now they are enjoying the established connections with members of the Jewish Family Services community.”
For more information on the Holocaust survivor and Jewish community services offered by Jewish Family Services, visit jfswny.org/jewish-community-services/.
About Jewish Family Services of WNY
Since 1862, Jewish Family Services of Western New York has been providing all members of our community with critical health and human services, regardless of religion, ethnicity, cultural background, gender identification, ability or age. The life-changing and wide-ranging services from elder care to refugee resettlement to behavioral and physical health are provided by professional staff and supported by an extended family of dedicated volunteers and generous donors. For more information, visit jfswny.org.
