The Community Connections Program at SOVA

Nearly one out of every five Jews in Los Angeles is living in poverty — a staggering statistic in a city with so much wealth. Each day in L.A. thousands of people struggle to make ends meet, and L.A.’s geographic sprawl adds yet another obstacle to the equation. Without the ability to get from the food pantry to the career assistance center to the health clinic, many families find it difficult to get the help they need. Couple that with lengthy intake procedures at each social service agency, all of which are already overburdened and struggling to serve needy clients, and it’s easy to understand how frustrating and stressful the whole experience can be.

In 2004, the Federation commissioned a white paper to determine the impact that poverty was having on the city’s Jewish community. A task force was also formed that made some important recommendations on how to alleviate the problem. One of those ideas was to put a variety of services under one roof so that people could get all or most of the help they need in one location.

With financial backing from the Federation, Jewish Family Service (a Federation beneficiary agency) stepped forward to coordinate the initiative. Phased in over several months, the Community Connections program is now up and running at JFS’ three SOVA food pantry locations. Already a much needed resource for low-income residents of Mid-Wilshire,West Hollywood,West Los Angeles, and the San Fernando Valley who need help feeding their families, SOVA is now the “one-stop shop” for a variety of other vital services.

“Through this comprehensive partnership we can better serve people who are struggling to make ends meet,” said Paul S. Castro, JFS executive director and CEO. “We have broadened our focus beyond just providing essential groceries, to giving people the tools they need to move out of poverty.”

Other Federation beneficiary agencies have also stepped up to participate in this unique project. Jewish Vocational Service is offering employment assistance and Bet Tzedek is providing legal guidance. Other agencies such as the Department of Public Social Services are offering food stamp enrollment and the Valley Community Clinic is providing health screenings and information on Healthy Families (California’s low-cost insurance for children and teens). JFS is also providing domestic violence and substance abuse counseling. Most importantly, all services are completely free of charge.

“People can save time and energy, eliminate the cost of traveling from agency to agency, and reduce the stress of managing life’s day-to-day activities,” said Leslie Friedman, executive director of SOVA. “We believe that the Community Connections collaborative model will become the standard for future hunger and poverty response programming.”

As part of the comprehensive program, the Federation is funding a full-time staff person to visit synagogues, senior centers, and government agencies to let the community know about this valuable resource. “As a community, we want to empower people to live Jewishly — to attend synagogue services and to send their children to day schools,” said Russell Grossman, chair of the Federation’s poverty task force. “However, when those in the Jewish community are unable to provide food or shelter for themselves or their families, we need to do something to help lift them out of the cycle of poverty. The Community Connections program is already making a big difference in the community.”

This article originally appeared in the October 2006 Mosaic. For more information on the Community Connections program, please call (818) 988-7682.