Jewish Family Service of Seattle

Jewish Family Service helps to ensure the survival and strength of our community by identifying needs and offering programs and services which incorporate Jewish culture, ethics and principles. We support and assist individuals and families in the tradition of helping people help themselves. In doing so, we recognize and welcome the opportunity to be responsive to the broader community. Jewish Family Service started in Seattle in 1892, as the volunteer-based Hebrew Ladies and Hebrew Men's Benevolent Society, founded to meet the needs of new immigrants; the two agencies merged in 1917 as the Hebrew Benevolent Society. In 1921 the agency was one of the initial members of the Community Fund, now known as United Way of King County, and became a professionally staffed social service agency, changing names to the Jewish Welfare Society in 1929, and again in 1974 to Jewish Family and Child Service, and in 1978 to Jewish Family Service. JFS has continued over more than one hundred years to expand its services to meet the needs of immigrants, children, families, seniors, people with disabilities and low income families.

Jewish Family Service serves the most vulnerable populations in our community through a variety of programs, including: Emergency Services ( rental assistance, emergency housing, bus tickets, food vouchers, counseling stipends, and case management) and the Food Bank Program, Adult and Aging Services and Home Care Associates, Refugee Resettlement (including immigration services, ESL, Job Development, case management, citizenship preparation, and acculturation), Family Life Education, Clinical Counseling, Youth and Children's Services, Seattle Association for Jews with Disabilities, and Vocational Guidance, along with other programs.