Jewish Family Service of St. Paul has been awarded a $105,000 one-year grant from Otto Bremer Trust. The grant will be used to strengthen social service programs focused on economic stability, mental health, and self-reliance for seniors and low-income individuals.
Employment Assistance offers job search, career development, resume and letter writing assistance, and interview preparation to people who might be entering the workforce for the first time, individuals exploring career growth or change, immigrants, and refugees starting over, people facing barriers to employment and people returning to the workforce after an absence.
PEARLS (Program to Encourage Active & Rewarding Lives) is free short-term counseling for seniors who suffer from low mood or depression. The Friendly Remote Visitors (FRV) and Community Support (CS) programs are free and open to all. FRV offers phone calls from trained volunteers to ensure people know someone cares and is thinking about them. CS includes three 20-minute phone conversations with a JFS mental health professional. Fee-based counseling is also available. This grant helps JFS continue to offer a sliding fee scale for this and other fee-based services.
Programs designed to support self-reliance for seniors include care planning, care coordination, case management, and Kosher Meals on Wheels. For low-income individuals, JFS offers employment services to promote self-reliance.
“The Otto Bremer Trust has been one of our largest funders for many years,” said JFS CEO Ruth Hampton Olkon. “We are grateful for the generous support they have given us in the past and look forward to working together to continue to improve the lives of so many in our community.”
