By the time more than 700 people had found coats at the Jewish Family and Children\u2019s Service of Greater Philadelphia\u2019s annual coat drive last month, JFCS volunteer manager Brianna Torres should have been exhausted.<\/p>\n
Instead, she was exhilarated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, this is one of our most favorite days of the year,\u201d she said, taking a break from shepherding the 60 volunteers helping hundreds of folks choose free winter jackets and coats for themselves and their children at Congregation Rodeph Shalom.<\/p>\n
Sometimes the line stretched around the historic synagogue on North Broad Street.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s all hands on deck,\u201d Torres said, with a smile. \u201cWe feel good \u2014 giving and receiving.\u201d<\/p>\n
JFCS\u2019s roots date to 1855, when philanthropist and Jewish educator Rebecca Gratz founded the Jewish Foster Home, and to 1869, when United Hebrew Charities was organized.<\/p>\n
These days, JFCS\u2019s client base has grown beyond the Jewish population it once primarily served. It offers a multitude of services, including help with basic needs, mental health and wellness, support for Holocaust survivors, older adults and their families, help for children and families, and for people living with disabilities, as well as an LGBTQ initiative. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe\u2019re an organization that is very focused on the equal value of every human being,\u201d said Robin Brandies, JFCS\u2019s new president and chief executive.<\/p>\n
When the giveaway ended, 900 of those human beings had chosen 1,200 coats out of 1,600 donated.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is our responsibility to make the world a better place,\u201d Torres said. \u201cOur main forefront is dignity.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why, she explained, the coat drive, while massive, didn\u2019t resemble a rummage sale. \u201cWe\u2019re trying to create a boutique type of atmosphere.\u201d<\/p>\n
Volunteers hung coats neatly on racks by size, not piled in heaps. While many people were served, only 35 at a time were allowed in to \u201cshop\u201d in the synagogue\u2019s huge community room. They could look at and try on coats at leisure without jostling for room.<\/p>\n
Volunteers helped them choose their coats while other friendly volunteers packed their coats into bags along with flyers describing more of JFCS\u2019s services.<\/p>\n
Leftover coats wind up in JFCS\u2019s mobile pop-up, \u201cOur Closet in Your Neighborhood.\u201d The agency brings a truck loaded with all kinds of clothing, from shoes to coats, and sets up mini boutiques in synagogues, churches, and community centers around the region. Fresh produce is also often available.<\/p>\n
Last month\u2019s coat drive was Brandies\u2019 first as JFCS\u2019s new president and chief executive. She replaces JFCS\u2019s longtime executive Paula Goldstein, who retired Sept. 1 after more than 40 years of service.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m blown away,\u201d Brandies said. She walked into the synagogue\u2019s community room and almost immediately ended up helping little King James, 3, get zipped into his new jacket.<\/p>\n
His mother, Jessel Huggins, of Strawberry Mansion<\/a>, brought five of her 13 children to the coat drive.<\/p>\n As they waited to choose, three of the boys, Shar, 6, Boaz, 7, and Prince Jedidiah, 8, said they hoped for winter jackets themed with Sonic the Hedgehog<\/a> characters \u2014 Sonic and Tails, the fox<\/a>.<\/p>\n Sadly, they weren\u2019t available, but at least Boaz and Prince Jedidiah got blue coats \u2014 the same color as the hedgehog. Shar landed a gray camouflage one. Their older sister, Shaly, 13, managed to snag her dream coat, a jacket with fur around the hood.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is my first time coming,\u201d Huggins said. \u201cBuying coats for 13 kids is a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n LaToya Adams, of West Philly, stood in line, hoping she\u2019d find a coat for herself, her daughter, 20, and her son, 7. \u201cWe can\u2019t afford coats with food stamps being cut off \u2014 and right at Thanksgiving.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe money I do make has to go to the bills,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m just trying to find a good-paying job. It\u2019s a burden. It feels like you have a weight on your shoulders and you can\u2019t get out of it. We\u2019re trying to survive, and them giving a coat today helps.\u201d<\/p>\n Brandies came to JFCS after serving as the leader of Abramson Senior Care. The two organizations joined on Oct. 1 to provide more seamless care for older adults and their families in a program now known as Abramson Senior Care of JFCS.<\/p>\n Abramson had offered more health-based care with JFCS, providing other types of services to seniors, including help with housing and food. \u201cA family can make one phone call\u201d on a 24-hour hotline to access services, Brandies said.<\/p>\n Sometimes there are emergencies, like a person calling late at night after noticing an elderly neighbor had tried to cook herself a meal and ended up having a minor fire. Usually, though, Brandies said, the calls are from people seeking advice on how to care for an aging relative.<\/p>\n Brandies, who had earlier careers in law and fundraising, said she became a fierce advocate for older adults in the 10 years she spent at Abramson.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople don\u2019t like to think about aging,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s possibly the most universal and least sexy of causes. It\u2019s not as sexy in fundraising circles as donating\u201d to programs for children.<\/p>\n \u201cEverybody ages and needs help at some point,\u201d she said. \u201cBut we\u2019re not educated [as a society] as to the best way to be there.<\/p>\n \u201cAs the percentage of the population that\u2019s aging increases, we have fewer people going into senior care professions,\u201d and there are fewer resources available to help the elderly. Many are aging alone, with no families nearby to help.<\/p>\n \u201cSeniors don\u2019t want to be infantilized,\u201d she said. \u201cThey want to continue to live their lives with as much dignity as possible.\u201d<\/p>\n This article is part of a series about Philly Gives<\/a> \u2014 a community fund to support nonprofits through end-of-year giving. To learn more about Philly Gives, including how to donate, visit phillygives.org<\/a>.<\/p>\n Jewish Family and Children\u2019s Service of Greater Philadelphia<\/p>\n Mission: <\/b>Jewish Family and Children\u2019s Service (JFCS) of Greater Philadelphia strengthens families and individuals across generations and cultures to achieve stability, independence, and community.<\/p>\n People served: <\/b>Over 30,000 annually<\/p>\n Annual spending: <\/b>$14,899,000 for 2024-2025<\/p>\n Point of pride: <\/b>The recent merger of JFCS and Abramson Senior Care (now Abramson Senior Care of JFCS) expands access to comprehensive social and healthcare services for older adults and their caregivers across Greater Philadelphia.<\/p>\n You can help: <\/b>We invite individuals, families, groups, corporations, and more to contribute their time and skills to a variety of community-based volunteer opportunities.<\/p>\n