From the Desk of CEO Judy Halper: May 2021

Conversations are shifting from “What vaccine did you get, and how did you feel afterwards” to “How was it to hug your grandchildren after more than a year, and have you gone to a restaurant yet.” Change is coming rapidly after what was a long, difficult, scary and sorrowful time for most of us. This last year or so reminds us that we are constantly in transition and we are so much more adaptive than we realize.

As we move through this next phase of post-COVID recovery, we must also recognize that the other pandemic we faced over the past year was the fear many of our fellow citizens and neighbors face daily while going about their lives. I hope you saw the article in the Star Tribune on Saturday, May 15, featuring JFCS Counselor/Child Therapist Natalie Quiring-Oleson. In addition to the essential and caring help Natalie offers as a therapist in our Counseling Program, she has been working on programs for parents designed to help them talk with their children about racism. She offers great advice to help parents provide straight-forward answers to tough questions, and recommendations and tips for providing more multi-cultural learning opportunities for children. You can also find the article on our website here.

You’ll be hearing more from JFCS in the coming weeks about changes to our operations, reflecting the guidelines regarding re-opening from the CDC as well as guidance from Governor Walz and the Minnesota Department of Human Services. We are preparing to continue providing all the assistance we’ve been offering virtually, and very soon, increasing our in-person service. Now more than ever, Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Minneapolis will be Here For All. Always. We look forward to seeing more of you soon!