One injury changed everything.

Paul was working for a high-end hotel in the catering department, when he was severely injured on the job. Two surgeries later, he was on disability for more than six months, but the insurance only covered 67 percent of his salary.

His wife, Amy, was on maternity leave at the time, caring for their two children. When she found work, her position was commission-based with a small salary. Before long, they were in trouble, unable to afford food after paying their other bills.

The distraught couple called Ruth & Norman Rales Jewish Family Services (JFS). Within three hours of the call, their lives changed again.

Your support turned around the lives of Amy, Paul and their children.

The Jewish Federation of South Palm Beach County is proud to support JFS and its many programs, which include the Jacobson Family Food Pantry.

Founded in 1996, the Food Pantry was established to ensure that no individual or family in our community goes hungry. Its mission is to help alleviate the burden of hunger, so that those in our community who are experiencing this challenge can direct their efforts towards improving their situation.

According to 2019 data, 15.1 percent of Palm Beach County’s population, or 202,100 people, are food insecure – the highest percentage in South Florida. More than 23 percent of those suffering from food insecurity are children, meaning 63,660 children go to bed hungry.

Thanks to you…

Within hours of their call to JFS, Amy and Paul were shopping at the Jacobson Family Food Pantry, getting cans of tuna, soup, pasta, sauce, cereal, vegetables, fresh fruit, bread and a chicken. The couple was elated!

After using the Food Pantry for four and a half months, the couple proudly called JFS to say that their lives were put back together, and that they would no longer need food from the Pantry. They told the JFS Food Pantry Operations Manager that the Food Pantry had saved their lives.

The harsh reality is that more and more families in the Boca Raton/Delray Beach area are having serious difficulties affording basic necessities. Thanks to you, the Jewish Federation is able to work with JFS to ensure the Food Pantry is a vital resource for those in need. Thank you.