Jewish Family Service of Colorado is rarely quiet these days. In the two-story brick building at the corner of Eastman Avenue and Tamarac Drive, people rush up the stairs toward reception, passing others who step into the food pantry to select groceries.
Nearby, visitors pause, flipping through pamphlets and reading signs plastered across the wall, taking in the full scope of the nonprofit’s work.
For Linda Foster, president and CEO of JFS, the steady stream of people seeking help is both a sign of unprecedented need and a reminder of why the nonprofit exists in the first place.
“We are an organization that has Jewish values, but we serve everybody. We don’t discriminate in any way,” Foster said.
Today, the nonprofit serves more than 26,000 people annually through over 30 programs and services, including food security, housing stability, mental health counseling, aging care, employment support, refugee resettlement, chaplaincy and Jewish life, disability services and aeroponic farming.
JFS, which receives funding from The Denver Post Community Foundation’s Season to Share program, is now in its 153rd year and has grown far beyond its origins as the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society.
As Colorado faces a housing crisis, rising food prices and growing community vulnerability, Foster said JFS continues to adapt while staying true to its mission of improving the lives of individuals and families in need across the state.
At the center of that response is a staff driven by purpose, Foster said. JFS has nearly 200 employees and over 700 volunteers of all types of backgrounds, and is what drew Foster to take on the role.
“Every day I’m doing something that makes a difference, and I have the most incredible staff who care about each other, but also care about our community and our clients. So, I wanted to be part of that,” Foster said.
The nonprofit is expanding its food pantry support, community partnerships and focusing efforts on preventing homelessness through its Emergency Housing Assistance program and Rapid Rehousing program.
More recently, JFS has worked to fill the gaps left by SNAP cuts that occurred during the government shutdown by increasing the amount of produce and protein it offers and ordering thousands of dollars’ worth of gift cards.
While the pantry can only provide so much, these gift cards allow families to purchase additional essentials that JFS can’t supply. However, even though the nonprofit has the flexibility to adapt to problems the community faces, it can sometimes add up.
“The support of the community around those are just so critical,” she said as the nonprofit receives hundreds of calls every day from people who need assistance.
“We’re really dependent on a committed community of donors — we wouldn’t be able to survive if we didn’t get that kind of support. We’re a nonprofit, so we have to find ways to be sustainable, and that’s when we depend on grants and we depend on donors.”
Foster sat at a big table in the middle of her office on a Tuesday afternoon, hands clasped together, staring off at the wall as she recalled meeting a client.
“Oftentimes I’ll go down just to hear someone’s story,” she said. “It reminds me why I’m here and what I’m doing.”
“I care so much about our organization and the people we serve, and there’s so much good we’re doing,” Foster said.
She said she wants to make sure this organization can continue in a good place, though it’s a challenge that requires raising more money and diversifying its funding sources. Yet, Foster said the nonprofit is exploring new strategies and remains optimistic as they strive to make the world a better place.
Jewish Family Service of Colorado
Address: 3201 S. Tamarac Dr., Denver, CO 80231
In operation since: 1872
Number of employees: 191
Number of volunteers: over 700
Annual budget: $22 million
Number of clients served: over 26,000 unique clients annually