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CHECK IT OUT! JFCS is celebrating its 75th Anniversary. Please support us by placing a business ad or a dedication ad in our Commemorative Journal. Join JFCS as we celebrate our 75th Anniversary! February 25, 2012 Westin Princeton at Forrestal Village Click Here for a complete invitation! Click Here for a printable response card! Family agency celebrates 75 years as local 'lifeline' Read about it on our In the News page! JFCS and Congregation Beth Chaim to Host College Application Essay Workshop Read about it on our In the News page!

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Click Here to View Our 2010-2011 Annual Report!

Our Mission

Jewish Family & Children's Service ("JFCS") of Greater Mercer County is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit community service agency that strengthens individuals and families by empowering people to care for themselves and others. This is accomplished through a wide range of high quality social services and programs including therapy, information and referral, support, education and advocacy. By combining contemporary clinical skills with values of charity, righteousness and compassion, Jewish Family & Children's Service seeks to assist families with many of life's toughest challenges.

For 75 years, our agency has served those in need in Greater Mercer County. We are headquartered in Princeton, New Jersey with an additional location in Ewing.

Who We Are

Our dedicated board and staff are led by Joyce Kalstein, Board President and Linda Meisel, LCSW, Executive Director. Our counseling and executive staff are all professionals with Master's degrees and New Jersey State licensed social workers continually trained in current techniques and issues. In addition, scores of volunteers ranging from octogenarians to young children give their time and energy every day to help JFCS make a difference for people in our community. Jewish Family & Children’s Service is certified by the Council on Accreditation for Agencies Serving Children and Families and licensed by the State of New Jersey.

Who We Serve

In the past year, we assisted more than 4,800 individuals in our community. Families in need, seniors and their adult children, couples and individuals, and victims of trauma and violence all turned to Jewish Family & Children’s Service for competent, confidential and caring support. We are a non-discriminatory agency providing social services to a diverse population. All members of our community are served. JFCS provides an affordable sliding scale fee structure to ensure that everyone who seeks our services can receive them.

How We Are Funded

Jewish Family & Children’s Service receives funding from individuals, foundations, local businesses and government grants. We are a proud beneficiary agency of The Jewish Federation of Princeton Mercer Bucks and a recipient of funding from the United Way of Greater Mercer County. Our donors account for over half of the funds needed to support our $1.7 MM budget. Our overhead is low – a remarkable 84 cents of every donated dollar goes to providing client services.

Our Programs and Services

In 2010-2011, Jewish Family & Children's Service provided:

• Counseling and Medication Monitoring that assisted more than 250 people through one-on-one and group counseling, medication monitoring, youth and teen counseling.
  
  
• Case Management and Financial Assistance that assisted more than 950 people through holiday financial assistance, Hebrew Free Loan Society, food vouchers, summer camp assistance, and the LIGHTS program.
  
  
• Secure@Home and Senior Programming that assisted more than 1200 people through counseling, referrals and resources for older adults, services to Holocaust survivors, aging in place programs, the Kosher Café serving more than 7,400 meals, Golden Agers (in association with the Jewish Community Center) and Kosher Meals on Wheels.
  
  
• Prevention and Support Services that assisted more than 1,850 people with developing the skills and resources to cope with all types of life cycle transitions or crises. Family learning and education, domestic violence support, re-employment assistance, peer education for teens, childhood social skills programs, and grief and bereavement groups are just some of the ways we helped those in need.