December 2018 Newsletter
Fall Food Drive
November 2018
Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's Fall Food Drive. Thanks to your generous donations, we collected:
14,368 lbs. of food
and $4,991!
A special thank you to the local groups, businesses, and organizations that participated, including Arnold Palmer Hospital Center for Digestive Health and Nutrition, Baker Barrios Architects, Inc., Congregation Gesher Shalom, Congregation of Reform Judaism, Evelyn and Arthur, For Goodness Sake, Killgore, Pearlman, Semanie, Denius, & Squires, P.A., Maitland Middle School - National Junior Honor Society, Temple Israel - MAGAL, and Terracon Consultants, Inc.

Terracon, pictured below, brought in over 700 lbs. of food as part of an interdepartmental food drive competition. Sounds like a fun way to fight hunger!
Thank you all for helping us feed families struggling with hunger this holiday season!
Sprouts Grab 'N Give Program
Ends December 31, 2018
JFS Orlando is proud to be partnering with the new Sprouts Farmers Market in Winter Park to fight hunger in Central Florida! In addition to making regular food donations for the Pearlman Emergency Food Pantry, Sprouts is donating food to JFS through their annual Grab ‘N Give program.

Stop by Sprouts and purchase a pre-packed Grab 'N Give bag at a 10% discount. Sprouts will donate the bags directly to JFS to feed hungry families through the Pearlman Emergency Food Pantry. Hurry before the program ends on December 31st! #SharingForGood
Holiday Tribute Cards
December 2018
There's still time to order holiday tribute cards for your friends and loved ones! Say "Happy Holidays!" this season by making a donation to JFS Orlando in honor of someone special to you.

For just a minimum suggested donation of $18, we will send a decorated tribute card to your loved one with a message noting your donation.

Simply click on the button below to donate and make sure to include in the  "special instructions"  section:

  • The recipient's full name
  • The recipient's mailing address
  • And any special message you'd like to include

Share in the holiday spirit of giving by sending a tribute card today!
Volunteer Spotlight
Thank you to the 11 volunteers that gave their time to deliver nearly 80 holiday meals to seniors in the Greater Orlando area on Wednesday, November 21st for Thanksgiving/ Hanukkah!
And a special shoutout to volunteer Mike McNarney who went above and beyond during his delivery. Mike has been delivering holiday meals with JFS for three years. When he went to visit one of his usual meal recipients this year, Maurice, he noticed something wasn't right. Maurice wasn't at home, and after further digging, Mike found out he had been taken to the hospital a few days before. Luckily, Maurice is doing ok, but, thanks to Mike, his family was contacted. Thank you, Mike, for going the extra mile to help someone in need!
The Power of Giving: Emergency Services
One in 50 families in Central Florida, and one in 17 children, will experience homelessness, during the course of a year. The poor economy has affected housing, employment, mental health, and several other factors leaving many households to survive paycheck to paycheck.

The JFS Emergency Services program is helping fight homelessness by providing families who qualify with emergency financial assistance for basic needs, such as rent, mortgage or utilities. The program also provides short-term case management such as budgeting.
Read Julia's Story
Earlier this year, Julia was diagnosed with stage 4 colon cancer. She had been working full-time, but was let go from her job after missing extended periods of work due to her health. Julia began chemotherapy in February, during which her doctor said she was not allowed to work. In addition to this reduction in income because of her temporary lack of employment, Julia had mounting medical bills from her cancer treatment, leaving her unable to pay her rent. Luckily, she found out about JFS Orlando. Julia received emergency financial assistance to pay her rent and get her through this critical time.
Help us continue helping families and individuals, like Julia, in their time of need by donating online to our Emergency Services program today!
The
Board Corner
Winter Park Holiday Parade
On Saturday, December 8, 2018, JFS Orlando participated for the first time in the 66th Annual Winter Park Holiday Parade, the oldest continuous holiday parade in Central Florida. JFS was one of more than 80 organizations that participated. 34th in line, the JFS ...
Beyond the
Counseling Couch
Six Ways to Beat Loneliness during the Holidays
During the holidays, we tend to think that everyone is happy and joyous, surrounded by family and friends. But often the opposite is true. The holidays can be a time where the lack of support, family connectedness or friendship is ...
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