Do you and someone you love volunteer in the Hand Up Food Pantry together? Drive an older adult to medical appointments together? How about deliver meals together? At JFS, we believe that friends and partners who volunteer together, stay together. That’s why this summer we’re launching a campaign to inspire more San Diegans to do the same. 

Here’s how you can help:

1). Email Melinda at melindaw@jfssd.org with a selfie of you and a friend/partner volunteering together. We’ll feature your photo on the JFS Facebook page with the hashtag #VolunteerTogetherSD.

2). Share a photo with the #VolunteerTogetherSD hashtag on your own Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram account—and be sure to tag JFS in your post.

Make this summer the season of love and community by inspiring others to make a difference together. Give the Volunteer Engagement team a call at (858) 637-3050 with any questions! 

Meet Our Jack & Loraine Stern Volunteers of the Year

Each year, JFS recognizes volunteers who have made a significant contribution to JFS and the community we serve. These awards are given in memory of Jack Stern and his wife, Loraine, for their dedication to volunteerism and to JFS. An outstanding volunteer who consistently went above and beyond, Jack became the agency’s Board President in 1986. Throughout many years of service, he showed his willingness to jump in and help with any task, no matter how great or small. Each year, Jack’s wife, Loraine, was delighted to present the Volunteer of the Year award in remembrance of her husband. She continued to do so until her passing in 2015. Jack and Loraine made an indelible mark on JFS, and their impact will be felt for years to come. This year, we are humbled to carry on the tradition of presenting this award to five deserving recipients in their honor.

Barry Goldlust (Left)
Barry began volunteering as a Bikkur Holim Friendly Visitor with JFS a little over eight years ago. His mother had benefited from a volunteer and after her passing, Barry decided to honor her by dedicating his time to others. Barry has been visiting the same gentleman for the past five years, providing both JFS and his match’s distant family with a watchful eye on their loved one. Despite experiencing vision loss that prevents him from driving, Barry continues to make his weekly visits by bus. His dedication and support have made all the difference. Thank you!

Marilyn Copeland (2nd from Left)
Marilyn has served as a Corner Market volunteer since the Market opened in 2015. Marilyn treats every person who comes to shop in our market-style food pantry with dignity and respect – greeting them with a smile, offering help as they select their items, and personally walking them to their cars. She is always striving for excellence. Her loyalty to this program is astounding and we have gone far with her input on both customer service and administrative tasks. Because of Marilyn, the development of the Corner Market has been stronger and more fluid. We are very grateful to have her on our team.

Lisa Oberndorfer (Not Pictured) & Heidi Blotner (Center)
Lisa and Heidi have done so much to make the Foodmobile program at JFS an uplifting force for homebound older adults. They joined forces about 15 years ago, and we are a stronger community because of it. Together, they deliver warm kosher meals one-to-two times a month. Always with a smile and laughter. They have formed friendships beyond their own to the many older adults they visit. The visits and meals they provide brighten the lives of many and though both have expressed that that they get more out of it than the recipients, we have to insist that the joy they bring others is valuable beyond measure. Thank you both for your many years of service.

Jacob Sperling (2nd from Right)
Jack has been volunteering with our Community Impacts and Geriatric Care Management team for nearly two years. He utilizes his previous work experience to assist our departments with improving processes. Data entry can be a dry, somewhat tedious task, however, Jack completes his work with pride and humor. When we hand him a mountain of data to input, he responds with patience and . He's constantly looking to improve systems and procedures. He's friendly and personable with everyone he shares space with. Thank you, Jack!

Start your engines! Help us race to the finish line of recruiting 100 new volunteer drivers by next summer. For every new volunteer you help us connect to On the Go, you will be eligible to win fun and exciting prizes like fame, good fortune, and excellent dance moves. If that’s not enough, we’ll throw in some gift certificates too.