From the Desk of CEO Judy Halper: November 2024

This time of year always seems like the kick-off to non-stop thoughts about food. The holidays, beginning with Thanksgiving and going all the way through New Year’s, are like a smorgasbord of food planning, menu preparation, calorie calculating, grocery store shopping, recipe reading, and oftentimes, over-indulgence.

In addition to all of the above, lately I’ve been hearing people talk about “feeding their feelings” – a justification for seeking out mostly fun, but not necessarily healthy, foods to manage anxiety, fear, and uncertainty. And let’s not forget, as if we could, how much our budgets will need to stretch in order to satisfy the appetites and dietary needs of all those we love, care, and cook for.

I’m someone who enjoys the challenge of cooking and baking everyone’s favorites for the holidays. I would say the stress of making the shopping lists (and checking them more than twice); the endless trips to the store for what I’ve ultimately forgotten; and the non-stop kitchen cleaning is all worth it for the joy it brings in gathering together family and friends.

As the stressful yet joyous chaos ensues, please make room for one more item on your already too long to-do list. If you can, please fill another bag of shelf-stable items and deliver it to a food shelf. Or even better, make a contribution to the food shelf so it will have increased purchasing power to serve the needs of the many folks who truly struggle throughout the year, and not just during the holiday season.

PRISM Food Shelf, located right here in our JFCS building, is seeing hundreds of new families accessing the food shelf for the first time, in addition to those who rely on it month over month. At JFCS, our weekend emergency food boxes designed for families of four are flying off our shelves at a pace we haven’t experienced before.

Food security is foundational to many things, including a child’s ability to focus at school, a family having the resources to keep a roof over their heads, transportation to work and childcare, and overall emotional and physical health and stability. As neighbors and as community members, most of us can do a little more to help those around us to have full bellies and happy holidays.

With so much gratitude for the blessings of family and meaningful work, best wishes for the holidays. Here for all. Always.