Jewish Family Services invites its Emerging Leaders – and those interested in joining this new professional development group – to learn more about its 120 years of service to the greater Kansas City community at its 120th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 24.
In this personal column, Andi Kahclamat shares why she’s attending this community celebration.
I remember eating cold refried beans, sitting on the floor in a dark apartment. My mother lit some candles, but the small flames couldn't lighten the tense mood. Our electricity had been disconnected for nonpayment, and we were days away from moving in with relatives, functionally homeless.
Throughout my childhood, I watched as the people I loved faced difficult questions without any good answers. How do you decide which survival expense gets paid and which can wait? How long can your tween use paper towels instead of menstrual pads? Is it possible to last until payday on half a bag of lentils and some frozen potatoes?
My family didn't benefit from Jewish Family Services of Kansas City (JFS) when I was a kid, but like many families, we needed the services that JFS offers. As a social services agency rooted in Jewish values, JFS continually shows up for those in need. JFS offers a food pantry with beautiful fresh produce, essentials like toilet paper and menstrual hygiene products, mental health support, career services and so much more. They even have the KesherKC Mobile to deliver food and services directly to people in their own neighborhoods.
Families like mine are more common than you might think; most Americans are just two bad paychecks away from homelessness. Kansas City PBS's Flatland KC reports nearly one in six Kansas Citians are food-insecure, and less than half of those qualify for increasingly-restrictive government assistance. And, of course, food insecurity doesn't happen in a vacuum; these folks also struggle to afford rent, utilities, transportation, basic healthcare and every essential expense many of us take for granted. That’s where JFS comes in.
When I learned about JFS and all their amazing work, I literally cried tears of joy. It’s not just the free farmer’s market in Brookside or the KesherKC Mobile. It’s not just period packs and toilet paper, essentials SNAP doesn’t cover. It’s not just the healthcare and career services. It’s the thorough commitment to Jewish values intertwined in everything they do. Staff and volunteers treat clients with respect and dignity, building a community where everyone is valued.
My family often survived on the chesed (loving-kindness) of neighbors and strangers. I vowed to return the favor when I grew up. That's why I focus my tzedakah and tikkun olam efforts on poverty issues and why I love supporting JFS as a donor, volunteer and member of the JFS Emerging Leaders Board for young professionals.
In the Talmud, Rav Simlai says the Torah begins and ends with G-d’s chesed. It opens with G-d clothing the naked and closes with G-d caring for the dead. In writing my personal Torah — in our community writing our collective Torah — centering the value of chesed helps us fulfill the commandment of “olam chesed yibaneh” — building a world from love. Supporting JFS to serve their clients is an actionable step we can all take towards writing our Torah as a community. May we be remembered for opening and closing our Torah with chesed, too.
And that's why I want to invite you to join me in supporting JFS at the 120th Anniversary Celebration on Aug. 24. JFS has tirelessly shown up for families like mine for 120 years, demonstrating love, kindness and dignity in everything they do. Their steadfast service is a testament to the strength of chesed. They show up every single day to create a world made from love in our community.
Now it’s time we show up for them. Purchase your tickets at jfskc.org/120.