Jewish Family Service Calgary

*To Access these Services Please Email Jewish Family Service Calgary 

Basic Needs - Wynne's  Pantry (Miriam's Well) - Our Basic Needs program is designed to address the effects of poverty by supporting individuals with food security and housing supports. Our team offers the following support to address each individuals’ unique needs through:

1. Initial and on-going assessment of needs;
2. Financial Literacy and Coaching;
3. Connection to community resources, and;
4. Advocacy.

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Community Education - JFSC’s Community Education programs are designed to build capacity to promote, cultivate, and maintain healthy relationships in various systems including families, organizations, and communities. We utilize a collaborative approach in our mission of strengthening communities by offering information, education, support, and skills development related to all ages and stages of the life cycle. Our team facilitates programs in group settings related to:

• Parenting and family dynamics
• Domestic/Dating Violence
• Healthy Relationships
• Bullying/Harassment

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English as a Second Language - JFSC has been offering English as a Second Language (ESL) classes to older adult newcomers/immigrants for over fifteen years.

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The Family Enrichment Program - is designed to support individuals and families in strengthening and promoting healthy family environments.

• Providing access to critical resources and tools that improve family wellbeing
• Empower clients to achieve self-determined goals
• Providing parent education, consultation, and support to strengthen parent/child relationship
• Reducing isolation and increasing knowledge on community access and support
• Offering advocacy and emotional support

For More Info Click Here

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Financial Coaching - Through a collaborative project funded by United Way, JFSC provides financial coaching to individuals and families to reduce debt, grow savings and build assets to increase financial wellbeing. Using a one-to-one financial coaching model, our program focuses on:

• Controlling your money vs. your money controlling you;
• Understanding day to day banking and credit;
• Financial decision making and problem-solving strategies, and;
• Fostering financial responsibility and ownership.

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Friendly Visitor Program -  Many seniors in our community experience isolation and loneliness. Our Friendly Visitor Volunteers explore common interests, share experiences, and build connections with their senior pair. The goals of the Friendly Visitor Program are:

• To alleviate isolation and loneliness by providing a consistent and meaningful connection.
• Activate social skills and maintain social relationships.
• Be a Friend, Become a Friend.

Please note: Due to COVID-19, our Friendly Visitor Program is now by phone. Friendly Visitor Volunteers call their senior pair every week for an hour.

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Home Support program - focuses on helping individuals with physical and/or emotional limitations that impact activities of daily living. We believe that every individual should have the opportunity to remain as independent as possible and have the right supports at the right time. Our services include:

• Personal care;
• Medication assistance;
• Housekeeping;
• Companionship;
• Meal preparation;
• Accompaniment to medical appointments, shopping and community activities, and;
• Respite for primary caregivers.

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Memory Care - FSC is excited to announce the launch of Memory Care, a program designed for individuals diagnosed with memory loss, dementia or Alzheimer’s.  Staff will engage with the client to deliver brain boosting activities that support them with their diagnosis, while also providing respite opportunities for the caregiver to engage in self-care during what is otherwise a very isolating and difficult time.

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Mental Health Support Line - In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, JFSC has launched a Mental Health Support Line service that delivers short term, brief intervention therapy to individuals who are struggling with their mental health due to the pandemic crisis. Therapy is provided by a registered provisional psychologist.  We are offering up to three sessions free of charge to help support our community during this difficult time. This is open to all individuals.

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Older Adults Outreach & Support - supports seniors to connect with programs and services that promote healthy aging, community inclusion and independence.  JFSC Outreach Team works to address the unique needs of every senior with the goal of successful aging in place. JFSC Older Adult Outreach team provides:

• Information, referral, and access to community services to assist with food security; housing, transportation and health care;
• Advocacy and emotional support;
• Support to complete forms and applications for government benefits and income programs;
• Connection to community groups and activities, and;
• Education and health promotion.

For More Info Click Here

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Post-War Survivor Services Claims Conference - Jewish Material Claims Against Germany (Claims Conference) is designed to secure what is considered a small measure of justice for Jewish victims of Nazi persecution. Through Claims Conference, JFSC provides services to eligible Holocaust Survivors to address emergency financial and home care needs.  Our team looks for solutions to support individuals to live as independently as possible by providing:

Support to eligible Holocaust Survivors with assistance to apply for one-time compensation or pensions from the Claims

• Conference and/or German government;
• Support in applying for additional resources offered by government agencies;
• Home Support Services;
• Connection to cultural and social supports, and
• Advocacy

For More Info Click Here

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Resettlement and Integration - The Resettlement and Integration program recognizes that moving to a different city or country can be overwhelming. Our team ensures that you have the necessary supports and services in place to assist with the transition. Whenever possible our resettlement services are provided in the mother language of the individual or family, made possible through a bank of staff and volunteers. Our team responds to the needs of the individuals by providing:

• Community connections that strengthen cultural identity;
• Advocacy;
• Information and referrals, and;
• Support navigating programs and services.

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Safta's Kitchen - Safta’s (meaning grandmother’s in Hebrew) Kitchen is a program centred on building connections through food and nourishing the soul through relationships. The aim is to decrease social isolation through active volunteerism of seniors and improving quality of life through the sharing of stories and food. This program is part of the Igniting Neighbours for Kind Communities initiative, a collective impact agreement with eight other non-profits in Calgary. At the end of the year a cook book will be given to all participants that highlights their recipes and stories.

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Seniors Mental Health & Addiction Response Team - This initiative was initially developed with the support of the City of Calgary grant called Change Can’t Wait. This is an interdisciplinary team consisting of a social worker and Licensed Practical Nurse that specialize in the areas of mental health and addictions to provide outreach services. These outreach services consist of: acting as advocates for the clients, completing assessments, and connecting the clients to community resources, focusing on early intervention and prevention.

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Shalom Bayit - "peace in the home", is one of the highest values of Judaism. This is also the value most compromised by domestic violence. Based on Jewish Women’s International 2004 Needs Assessment we know that:

• Domestic violence in the Jewish communities affects all types of relationships, all socio-economic classes, all ages, and all spectrums of religious and cultural life.
• Jewish women do not usually seek emergency shelter and therefore are left alone to negotiate a system of independent and disconnected programs and services.
• Jewish women are more likely to go to a Rabbi for help and guidance if the Rabbi has previously spoken out about the issue of domestic violence.

JFSC’s Shalom Bayit Program responds to the needs of our clients by providing the following services:

Domestic Violence Support

• Safety planning
• Systems and Resource Navigation
• Advocacy
• Basic Needs
• Community Connections

Clinical Counselling for

• Domestic Violence
• Dating Violence
• Self-esteem
• Challenging family and/or relationship dynamics
• Bullying