How Are My Donations Spent?

How Are My Donations Spent?

Jewish Federation’s Annual Community Campaign is the St. Louis Jewish community’s largest fundraising effort. Donations make it possible for Federation’s agencies, programs and services to provide food, financial assistance for Jewish families, education, culture, social and recreation programs for all ages and fight anti-Semitism. Federation-supported agencies serve people of all ages, races and religions.  In good times and bad, Jewish Federation is the one place anyone in our community can turn to for help. Each gift to Federation’s Annual Jewish Community Campaign assures maximum impact– going where needs are greatest in St. Louis, Israel and around the world. Plus, in emergencies, our community relies upon Federation to respond quickly and efficiently to address humanitarian needs.

Hundreds of volunteers from all sectors of the community, who serve on Jewish Federation’s allocations committees and subcommittees, evaluate needs and distribute charitable dollars to Federation’s family of agencies, programs and services. The process involves working with agencies to examine geographic and demographic shifts, identify where needs are greatest and make plans to address them efficiently and with little duplication of services.

More than half of the money raised in Federation’s Annual Community Campaign goes for local needs - through such agencies as Jewish Community Center (JCC), Central Agency for Jewish Education (CAJE), Jewish Family & Children’s Service (JF&CS), Covenant House/CHAI Apartments, MERS/Missouri Goodwill, Inc., and the Holocaust Museum & Learning Center (HMLC), a department of Jewish Federation.

Additional funds for local programs and services, national and international needs are raised through emergency campaigns, planned giving –lifetime gifts, deferred gifts, designated funds  through the Jewish Community Foundation; supporting foundations, corporate gifts, government grants and the United Way.

Here is an overview of Federation-supported agencies, programs and services:

Children and Youth

Federation agencies and programs improve the lives of children through recreation, education, childcare, camps and cultural programs. Federation supports:
  • Early childcare for kids 6 weeks to 6 years, day and residential camps, children’s theater, parent-toddler classes, Bnai Brith Youth Organization, Shalom Baby, youth fitness and recreation and family education at the JCC; 

  • Tuition scholarships and grants to five Jewish day schools;

  • Hebrew tutors for special needs children, trips to Israel, religious school programs , courses on Judaism for high schools students – Jewish Opportunities and Learning for Teens (JOLT),  Community Israel Programs such as Israel Experience Center and Passport  to Israel, Conservative Hebrew Schools, all  through CAJE;

  • Storytelling, holiday and cultural programs at the Brodsky Library;

  • School tours, educational programs, an art and writing contest and outreach at the Holocaust Museum;

  • Counseling and child abuse prevention at Jewish Family & Children’s Service;

  • Center for Jewish college students to gather, pray, study, socialize and conduct community service projects at Hillel on the Washington University and University of Missouri, Columbia, campuses.

  • Jewish Federation support of Moise House, Next Dor, the PJ Library Program, Birthright  Israel and the Jewish Student Union.

  • Ohr Chadash the Jewish Light’s (Teen Page)  and jewishinstlouis.org’s teens, kids, young adults and college students’ sections.
Seniors

Federation funds help support a wide range of services that help seniors live longer—comfortably and as independently as possible. Federation support provides:

  • Safe and affordable housing, assisted living, transportation, housekeeping, kosher meals  (Covenant/CHAI and Crown Center) and adult day care at the JCC;

  • Inpatient, outpatient and emergency care at Barnes-Jewish Hospital;

  • Adult Jewish learning at CAJE;

  • Social nutrition – group and delivered meals at Covenant/CHAI and Crown Center;  housekeeping and laundry services, religious support at Covenant/CHAI’

  • Counseling, housekeeping, Jewish Food Pantry, homemaker and rabbinic services through JF&CS;

  • Recreation, cultural, social programs, lectures and concerts, well programs  at the JCC, Covenant/CHAI, Holocaust Museum and Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library;

  • Long-term care, rehab services, skilled nursing care, Alzheimer’s /dementia care, kosher food services, recreationl and social services at The Cedars of the JCA;

  • Government Relations Office of the Missouri Jewish Federations advocates for senior services in Jefferson City;

  • Services and programs through NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) to keep those 65 and older, who reside within a one-square mile area of the JCC campus in Creve Coeur, living in their homes and communities as long as possible; funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, coordinated by Federation in partnership with its agencies and Washington University Center for Aging.

  • A free information and referral service, ElderLink St. Louis (launched in 2009) serves as a central resource for seniors and their caregivers. It’s a project of the Senior Service Integration Commission designed to best serve our senior population to help them live independently and with dignity; Lifeline Fund, Homemaker service, Community Chaplaincy, transition strategies, counseling, Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, Emergency Financial assistance, Jewish Connections at Jewish Family & Children’s Service.
Jewish Learning

Federation supports a lifetime of Jewish education. This includes:

  • Grants and scholarships to Solomon Schechter Day School, H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy, Louis and Sarah Block Yeshiva High School, Torah Prep School and Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy;

  • Crown Family Education Grants at St. Louis congregations through programs funded by the Crown Jewish Education Family Grants, administered by Federation;

  • Jewish Opportunities and Learning for Teens (JOLT), Hebrew tutoring for special needs kids, adult education classes such as Melton Mini-School, a two-year Jewish literacy and lifestyle program, and “Our Jewish Home” for families to learn Jewish traditions with in-home tutoring--all through CAJE; 

  • Student to Student through the Jewish Community Relations Council.

  • Trips to Israel and Jewish educational programs at Hillel;

  • Crown Jewish Family Education Grants through St. Louis area congregations;

  • Access to Jewish information with 22,000 books, videos and periodicals at the Brodsky Library;

  • Jewish family education, Jewish Book and Film Festivals, day care/preschool, parent-toddler classes through the JCC;

  • Ten-month Israel work-study program (Otzma) for 19-24 year olds through Lubin-Green, a Federation supporting foundation.

  • Storytelling, children’s talks at the Brodsky Library;

  • The Holocaust Museum also sponsors outreach programs that provide Holocaust education to schools through Missouri and Illinois
Heritage and Culture

Cultural programs connect Jews to their heritage and promote understanding of the larger community. These include:

  • Exhibits, survivors’ personal accounts, lectures, special events like the Yom HaShoah commemoration and a monthly film series. The Holocaust Museum also sponsors outreach programs that provide Holocaust education to schools throughout Missouri and Illinois; 

  • Storytelling, book clubs, concerts and lectures at the Brodsky Library;

  • Israel education and awareness, ties to Israel, community interfaith relations and Student to Student program, visits by Jewish teens to non-Jewish peers at local high schools and organizations through the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and Federation;
  • Early childhood education, Jewish theater, Jewish film festival and annual book festival sponsored by the JCC;

  • Israel scholarships through the Birthright Israel program;

  • Teacher training, Jewish education for adults, families and children, Israel scholarships through CAJE;

  • Guide to Jewish life, holiday and Jewish life cycle information in The Jewish Light, the St. Louis Jewish community newspaper and website (www.stljewishlight.com ) and jewishinstlouis.org. 
Overseas

Federation’s international family of agencies offers vital social and human services to Jews in need in Israel and overseas:

  • Social welfare, economic development, educational services, resettlement of refugees in Israel and medical care and food for elderly  and summer camps for children in the former Soviet Union through Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI);

  • Relief, rescue and rehabilitation services for Jews countries overseas such as urgent needs of the elderly in the FSU and aid to Israel to address urgent social challenges for children-at-risk, vulnerable immigrant populations, elderly and disabled through the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC);

  • A continuum of services of services for children, youth and families at-risk in Yokne’am-Megiddo, St. Louis’ sister-city region in Israel;

  • Feeding hungry families through Leket Israel (an Israeli charity founded in 2003 to distribute surplus food that would otherwise be discarded to people in need and Muzot,

  • Support for at-risk youth at Muzot, an arts high school in the old city of Yaffo, Israel, that provides creative, educational and emotional development to lead them toward success in their adult lives;

  • Educating the community about issues, advocating for Israel, offering the St. Louis Israel Connection for young adults (SLIC), Israel Teen Advocacy Group (iTag) and assembling community rallies through JCRC;

  • Israel education and subsidized trips through Hillel;

  • Israel program specialists at Camp Sabra and day camps at the JCC;

  • Israel trips for teens and young adults, scholarships, savings plans, work/study programs, and exchange programs with P2000 sister-city region in Israel through CAJE.

Services to Repair the World (Tikkun Olam)

  • Counseling, child abuse prevention, Jewish Food Pantry, homemaker services and Jewish Connections, a program for those coping with severe mental illness through Jewish Family & Children’s Service;

  • Grants to non-Jewish grassroots agencies i.e. Volunteers in Medicine, Franciscan Connection: Stone by Stone Project, Puentes de Experanza (Bridges of Hope) and Faithful Friends, to name a few, through the Jewish Fund for Human Needs, a joint project of JCRC and St. Louis Rabbinic Association;

  • Career counseling  in the Careers in Transition Program for Jewish adults at MERS/Missouri Goodwill;

  • Meals for seniors, adult day care, programs for those with disabilities, childcare and scholarships at the JCC;

  • Assisted living, homemaker services, kosher food service, food certificate programs for low-income seniors at Covenant/CHAI;

  • Advocacy for social and human services in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. through the Government Relations Office of the Missouri Jewish Federations (GROMJF), sponsored by Jewish Federation of St. Louis.

Jewish Federation Emergencies
  • To help Jewish families and individuals with emergency grants and loans, Jewish Federation established the Lifeline Fund in November of 2008. It was supported with money pooled from the reallocation of existing Federation resources, endowments and special gifts. An additional $300,000 was raised in 2009 for Lifeline, which as of June, 2010, had helped 108 Jewish households with cash grants and loans.

  • As unemployment and the recession continued, Federation coordinated Lightfest, a special community-wide response. On December 6, 2009, more than 3,300 people gathered to help those in need with 12,000 cans of food, toys and clothing for kids and more than $200,000 in donations.

  • Worldwide Crisis Relief:  When a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti, Federation played a decisive role in crisis relief for the victims. Federation funds have been raised for Hurricane Katrina, the floods in Tennessee and more. Federation makes sure the Jewish community is represented any and everywhere there is a humanitarian crisis.

  • Create a Jewish Legacy: Federation’s Jewish Community Foundation launched an effort to help Jewish organizations, congregations and day schools plan for the future.  Through the ‘Create a Jewish Legacy’ program, JCF brought together leadership and staff from across the community to enlighten them about the many ways donors can support them – in addition to the community campaign.

 

Children and Youth

Federation agencies and programs improve the lives of children through recreation, education, childcare, camps and cultural programs. Federation supports:

  • Early childcare for kids 6 weeks to 6 years, day and residential camps, children’s theater, parent-toddler classes and family education at the JCC; 
  • Tuition scholarships to five Jewish day schools;
    After-school classes, Hebrew tutors for special needs children, trips to Israel, religious school programs and courses on Judaism for high schools students and overnight camping through CAJE;
  • Storytelling and cultural programs at the Brodsky Library;
  • School tours, educational programs, outreach at the Holocaust Museum;
  • Center for Jewish college students to gather, pray, study, socialize and conduct community service projects at Hillel on the Washington University and University of Missouri, Columbia, campuses.
    • Seniors

    Federation funds help support a wide range of services that help seniors live longer—comfortably and as independently as possible. Federation support provides:

    • Safe and affordable housing, assisted living, transportation, housekeeping, kosher meals and adult day care at Covenant/CHAI;
    • Counseling, housekeeping, Jewish Food Pantry, homemaker and rabbinic services through JF&CS;
    • Recreation, cultural, social programs, lectures and concerts at the JCC, Covenant/CHAI, Holocaust Museum and Saul Brodsky Jewish Community Library;
    • Long-term and sub-acute care, adult day care, kosher food services, medical and social services at The Cedars of the JCA;
    • Services and programs through NORC (Naturally Occurring Retirement Community) to keep those 65 and older, who reside within a one-square mile area of the JCC campus in Creve Coeur, living in their homes and communities as long as possible; funded by the U.S. Administration on Aging, coordinated by Federation in partnership with its agencies and Washington University Center for Aging.
    Jewish Learning

    Federation supports a lifetime of Jewish education. This includes:

  • Grants and scholarships to Solomon Schechter Day School, H.F. Epstein Hebrew Academy, Louis and Sarah Block Yeshiva High School, Torah Prep School and Saul Mirowitz Day School-Reform Jewish Academy;
  • Family education at St. Louis congregations through programs funded by the Crown Jewish Education Family Grants, administered by Federation;
  • Camps for Reform Jewish kids, after-school Hebrew and Judaic studies, Student to Student program, Hebrew tutoring for special needs kids, a Jewish Community High school for Jewish teens, adult education classes, Melton Mini-School, a two-year Jewish literacy and lifestyle program and “Our Jewish Home” for families to learn Jewish traditions with in-home tutoring--all through CAJE;
  • Trips to Israel and Jewish educational programs at Hillel;
  • Access to Jewish information with 22,000 books, videos and periodicals at the Brodsky Library;
  • Ten-month Israel work-study program (Otzma) for 19-24 year olds through Lubin-Green, a Federation supporting foundation.
    • Heritage and Culture

    Cultural programs connect Jews to their heritage and promote understanding of the larger community.

    These include:

  • Exhibits, survivors’ personal accounts, lectures, special events like the Yom HaShoah commemoration and a monthly film series. The Holocaust Museum also sponsors outreach programs that provide Holocaust education to schools throughout Missouri and Illinois; 
  • Storytelling, book clubs, concerts and lectures at the Brodsky Library;
  • Israel education and awareness, ties to Israel, community interfaith relations and Student to Student program, visits by Jewish teens to non-Jewish peers at local high schools and organizations through the Jewish Community Relations Council (JCRC) and Federation;
  • Early childhood education, Jewish theater, Jewish film festival and annual book festival sponsored by the JCC;
  • Israel scholarships through the Birthright Israel program;
  • Teacher training, Jewish education for adults, families and children, Israel scholarships through CAJE;
  • Guide to Jewish life, holiday and Jewish life cycle information in The Jewish Light, the St. Louis Jewish community newspaper.
    • Overseas

    Federation’s international family of agencies offers vital social and human services to Jews in need in Israel and 60 countries:

    • Social welfare, economic development, educational services, resettlement of refugees in Israel and medical care and food for elderly in the former Soviet Union through Jewish Agency for Israel (JAFI);
    • Relief, rescue and rehabilitation services for Jews in 60 countries and aid to Israel to address urgent social challenges for children-at-risk, vulnerable immigrant populations, elderly and disabled through the American Joint Distribution Committee (JDC);
    • ‘Safe’ after-school programs for Israeli children, funds for a science center, housing, schools and community centers in Yokne’am-Megiddo, St. Louis’ sister-city region in Israel;
    • Food, rent and jobs for Argentinean Jews;
    • Educating the community about issues, advocating for Israel and assembling community rallies through JCRC;
    • Israel education and subsidized trips through Hillel;
    • Israel program specialists at Camp Sabra and day camps at the JCC;
    • Israel trips for teens and young adults, scholarships, savings plans, work/study programs, and exchange programs with P2000 sister-city region in Israel through CAJE.

    Services to Repair the World (Tikkun Olam)

    • Counseling, child abuse prevention, Jewish Food Pantry, homemaker services and Wings, a program for those coping with severe mental illness through Jewish Family & Children’s Service;
    • Grants to non-Jewish grassroots agencies i.e. St. Martha’s Hall, La Clinica and Energy Care through Jewish Fund for Human Needs, a joint project of JCRC and St. Louis Rabbinic Association;
    • Career counseling at MERS/Missouri Goodwill;
    • Meals for seniors, adult day care, programs for those with disabilities, childcare and scholarships at the JCC;
    • Assisted living, homemaker services, food certificate programs for low-income seniors at Covenant/CHAI;
    • Advocacy for social and human services in Jefferson City and Washington, D.C. through the Government Relations Office of the Missouri Jewish Federations (GROMJF), sponsored by Jewish Federation of St. Louis.

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