Shawn Curtis, 33, has recently finished school to become a pharmacy technician, but she has yet to find a job.
Her husband is out of work with a broken ankle. The couple has three kids to clothe, feed and educate. And the bills are mounting.
The Curtises are among thousands of people aided by Jewish Family Service of Colorado.
The organization operates on Jewish principles, but more than half the folks it serves are not Jewish. Every human being is equal in God’s eyes, according to a cherished Jewish value known in Hebrew as “Tselem Elohim.”
“They treat you with dignity,” Curtis said. “They understand that you are trying to better your life, and in the meantime, you need help.”
Jewish Family Service draws its support from donations, grants and an army of 875 hard-working volunteers. It served 14,000 people last year. And it faces an increasing load in an economy that has left many on the sidelines.
“We’re working at preventing homelessness,” said Amy Halperin Wood, family safety net program director at Jewish Family Service. “Most of the people we work with are on the edge already. Their car broke down. They just had one big catastrophic illness. They lost their job. Their hours got cut. … It’s not the guys in the street. It’s the unemployed and the underemployed.”
Jewish Family Service, 3201 S. Tamarac Drive in Denver, offers 40 programs for people of all ages, faiths and incomes. Programs include everything from family counseling and educational programs to emergency financial aid.
The group maintains a staff of psychologists, social workers, marriage and family therapists and other experts to help treat everything from self-esteem issues to physical and sexual abuse. The group offers assisted-living services to homebound seniors and runs a nursing-home outreach as well.
Jewish Family Service also strives to put people to work. It runs Shalom Denver, an organization that employs and trains the disabled to handle the mailing needs of area companies, governments and nonprofits.
Another vital part of Jewish Family Service’s mission is its generous food pantry.
Needy people can use the pantry up to 12 times a year, receiving cereals, rice, soup, bread, canned meats and stews, vegetables, fruit, dairy products, toiletries and personal-care products. It may be difficult to find a better care package, because many of the perishable items come from Whole Foods, a premium grocery store nearby.
Jewish Family Service is among the oldest charities in Colorado. It traces its roots to 1872, with the founding of the Hebrew Ladies Benevolent Society, a group that once served Denver’s 300 Jewish pioneers.
One of the group’s early presidents was Frances Wisebart Jacobs. Jacobs, who died in 1892, also was one of the co-founders of the United Way of America.
Jews live under a commandment known in Hebrew as “Tikkun Olam.” It’s an obligation to make the world a better place. This is what Jewish Family Service strives to do.
The organization also embodies other Jewish values, including acts of living kindness, or “G’mut Hassadim,” and helping those in need, or “Tzedakah.”
In a world where needs typically overwhelm resources, it’s important not to become overwhelmed by the apparent futility of a single act. That’s where a Jewish value known as “Pikuach Nefesh” comes in: “He who saves one life, saves the entire world.”
“We’re trying to move forward,” said Curtis. “But somewhere along the way you have adversity in life. … I thank God for this place.”
Al Lewis can be reached at denverpostbloghouse.com/lewis, 303-820-1967 or alewis@denverpost.com.
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Post-News Season To Share, a fund of the McCormick Tribune Foundation, gave more than $1.65 million to 63 agencies serving children, the hungry, the homeless and those in need of medical care last year. Donations are matched at 50 cents for each dollar, and 100 percent of all donations goes directly to local charitable agencies. To make a donation, see the coupon on Page 3B of today’s paper, call 800-508-2928 or visit www.seasontoshare.com.
