March is Social Work Awareness Month, a time to recognize and honor the immeasurable contributions of social workers across the country.
This year’s theme, Social Work: Compassion + Action, aligns closely with the values we hold at JFS—dedication to compassionate care and service to those in need. At JFS, we are proud to celebrate this important profession and reflect on its meaningful impact on our society.
Social workers are the backbone of many of the services we provide at JFS. From Counseling and Home Care to Adoption and kinship foster care, our social workers work tirelessly to ensure that individuals and families receive the support they need to thrive. We took some time to ask a few of our social workers why they chose the path of social work and some of the challenges they face.
“Helping others wasn’t just something I grew up seeing, but it’s also a big part of my culture. Tikkun Olam, repairing the world. The walls we hit with limited resources and the emotional toll of doing the work can be challenging, but when you make connections and build trust with your client, it feels like it’s all worth it” – Sonni Gittelman, Clinician
“My parents were very involved in our community and it fueled my passion to help people make changes in their lives for the better. I’ve always been connected to the importance of quality care for people in need, especially children. I love what I do. The challenges of social work can vary, this is a job where you have to pace yourself or you’ll burn out and your purpose becomes just another job. ”
– Denise Wise-David, Connecting Hearts Program Manager
“I kind of knew I wanted to work in mental health, after working in my father’s law firm. I was very connected to the idea of ‘speaking with your actions’. Over my career I’ve found myself in many roles just trying to further my reach of helping people.” – Sydney Fleischer, Director of Clinical Services
“I knew I wanted to be a judge—to be able to have an impact on families but after looking into law schools and taking the LSAT I realized it wasn’t for me, but I still wanted to help people. I went to the library and doing my research, I found Social Work. The impact you can have on people at all levels is what I love about this work along with educating future social workers. I get an even better feeling when I can see the change happening.”
– Jackie Cowan, JFS Connecting Hearts ATCP Case Manager
JFS social workers strive to create a lasting and transformative impact on the lives of those we serve. We invite you to join us in recognizing the incredible impact social workers have in our community and beyond. Their work, fueled by compassion and action, continues to shape a brighter future for all.
Jewish Family Services is supported, in part, by a generous contribution and programming grants from the Jewish Community Federation of Richmond.
