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cultivating resilience. welcoming people.

A community leader partnering with people to achieve fulfilling lives.

Help our New American Program resettle refugees in Western Massachusetts!

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Rooted in Jewish values, Jewish Family Service of Western Massachusetts provides exceptional social services to support individuals and families from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.

Our programs strengthen our community by strengthening the individual–from resettling refugee families, to supporting New Americans to become self-sufficient, counseling young adults through life’s transitions, equipping older adults to age well, protecting elders from abuse, leading caregiver support groups, and helping individuals enhance their Jewish connections.

Jewish Life

Enriching the quality of life for individuals in the Jewish community of Western Massachusetts.

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Older Adults

Serving the unique needs of older adults, their families, and/or caregivers. 

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Behavioral Health

Supporting individual and family resilience.

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New Americans

Helping refugees resettle and thrive in our community.  

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Citizenship & Immigration

Assisting immigrants and refugees to become US Citizens. 

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Volunteer

Engaging community members, offering internships, and placement for AmeriCorps staff, to help our newest neighbors succeed.

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Latest Updates

JFS Responds to State of Emergency

For over a year, JFS staff have worked in Emergency Shelters that have primarily housed Haitians. Staff helped over 400 people get access to food, medical care, and other support. Through the Massachusetts Refugee Support Program, JFS has paid for 386 people to have their fees for their asylum application and full representation in asylum court.
In September, we will more fully assemble an Emergency Response team of 8 staff who can be on site at Emergency Shelters, can triage families immediate needs and connect them to community and JFS services. Our behavioral health staff is also growing to serve Haitian families, with the addition of three new full-time staff who speak Haitian Creole. The situation continues to be emergent, with more families in need arriving to our community every day needing shelter, urgent legal assistance, and guidance as they learn to navigate their new home.
 
We need your help! We are in urgent need of gift cards, diapers, and new baby items. We are always in need of volunteers. Visit our website to donate or to volunteer!

Become a JFS Volunteer Housing Host!

JFS volunteers are at the core of welcoming refugee families and helping them feel at home in Western Massachusetts. Newly arriving refugee clients face financial challenges, along with the problem of securing affordable housing especially in this difficult housing market.
If you have safe space to host a newly arriving individual or family, preferably near Springfield, we invite you to consider becoming a Volunteer Housing Host.
Housing Hosts welcome a refugee family into their home for a short period of time (2 to 16 weeks) until the family is able to find a job and rent an apartment. Housing Hosts will be meeting a family from a different culture with a different background. Join our team and make a life-changing impact to individual refugees and refugee families! Visit our JFS website to learn about this and other volunteer opportunities, or contact Andreia Correia, JFS Volunteer Coordinator at a.correia@jfswm.org.

JFS Helps Prepare New American Youth for School!

Over the last few weeks, our New American Youth Program staff have been working closely with families that arrived over the summer since the end of the last school year. Program staff have enrolled over 50 new students in school and assisted with school bus orientations, back-to-school events, school tours, and provided students with school supplies and uniforms.
Last week, one of our case managers brought three families to a back-to-school event at Emergence Academy so the new students could meet their classmates and receive backpacks and uniforms. It also allowed the parents to see where their kids would be going to school and gave them a chance to meet their teachers prior to the school year starting. This week, students will be starting school in Springfield, Chicopee, West Springfield, Agawam, and Westfield.

JFS Offers Expanded Legal Services

To date this year, our New American Program has welcomed over 700 newcomers, the most we’ve ever served in a single year, including many in need of legal assistance. In response to the increasing demand, JFS is actively expanding its capacity to offer additional legal services. We have hired a summer paralegal who will be helping to file Employment Authorization Documents, Temporary Protected Status, Adjustment of Status, and other related immigration applications. In addition, our dedicated volunteer legal team is continuing to support the legal requirements of Afghan families. And through a recent collaboration with Western New England School of Law and Central West Justice we were thrilled to offer a series of TPS (Temporary Protected Status) clinics to assist Haitian families in urgent need of this service.

JFS Launches the Joe Dorison Memorial Bike Fund

Donate your used bikes to JFS!  In partnership with RadSpringfield: Make-It Springfield’s Community Bike Shop, funds raised and bikes collected will be used to distribute bicycles to newly arriving refugees in our New American program to provide a means of transportation to our clients as they get jobs in the local area. Used bikes can be dropped off at our main offfice in Springfield during regular business hours.
The Joe Dorison Memorial Bike Fund was established by JFS in honor of Joseph S. Dorison (1958-2023). Joe served as JFS Board President from 2001-2004 and was a dedicated friend to JFS. For more information click here, or contact Lori Friedman at l.friedman@jfswm.org or call (413) 737-2601.
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Upcoming Events

Jewish Family Jam with Felicia Sloin!

Calling all families with children ages 0-5! Come sing, move and jam with us. Jewish Family Jam is an enriching, joy filled, Jewish music and learning class for children ages 0-5 and their caregivers, held weekly, beginning October 3rd, 10:45-11:30am Tuesdays at Lander Grinspoon Academy, Northampton. Registration is required. Cost: $35 registration fee. Click here to register. Questions? Contact Rosalind Torrey at r.torrey@jfswm.org.

Join our JFS Ride to Provide Team and Ride With Us on October 15th

Get ready to ride for a cause! We are excited to join the Jewish Federation of Massachusetts’ Ride to Provide 2023 – a family-friendly bike ride fundraiser on Sunday, October 15, at UMass Hillel in Amherst. Join our team and let’s have a day full of fun, exercise, and community! Plus, when you ride, you’ll be helping us to raise funds for JFS and our Western Mass. community. For more information and to sign up please check out our fundraising page and sign up by September 23 for a special early bird discount! Help us make a difference in our community. Click here to register, or email Rabbi James Greene at j.greene@jfswm.org for more information.

Spread the Word—We Have Openings in Our Caregiver Support Groups

Are you caring for a parent, spouse or loved one? Join one of our Caregiver Support Groups to reduce caregiver isolation, receive support, explore relevant topics, discover resources, share coping strategies and learn from other caregivers. Currently all support groups are being held remotely. Groups are free of charge. Pre-registration is required. Click here for more information, or contact Cathy Chandler at c.chandler@jfswm.org.

How You Can Help

Help Welcome New Refugees

Everyday brings new Ukrainians and Haitians to JFS, in addition to our ongoing resettlement work welcoming refugees from other countries including Eritrea, Democratic Republic of Congo, Guatemala and Syria. While we aim to keep our storeroom supplies stocked, with the urgent influx of need, we are continually working to replenish our inventory.

  • Help us replenish our supplies by purchasing items from our WISHLIST. Please designate delivery to JFS, 15 Lenox Street, Springfield, MA 01108, and add a gift receipt so that we can thank you! If you have any questions, call (413) 737-2601.
  • Sign up to Volunteer! As we expand our programming, more support from the community is needed to help newly arriving refugee families! Click here to find a volunteer opportunity to fit your interests and schedule.
  • We are seeking pro bono legal assistance to help our new clients become asylees.

Volunteer

Volunteer support is crucial to our work and the long-term success and wellness of our community.
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About Us

Rooted in Jewish values, we provide exceptional social services to support individuals and families from diverse cultural and economic backgrounds.

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