JF&CS News Summer 2016
Posted by Wendy Wilsker

Wendy WilskerOn Wednesday, June 1, 475 women joined JF&CS at the Westin Waltham Hotel for the annual Women's Breakfast benefiting the Center for Early Relationship Support® (CERS). We were inspired that morning to hear remarks from Anne Geddes, world-renowned photographer and global health advocate for women and children. The theme of Ms. Geddes' work is "protect, nurture, love." Those three simple words certainly resonate with the work that we do in CERS and at JF&CS – helping mothers create strong parental bonds, families maintain safe and healthy homes, and adults with disabilities increase their feelings of self-worth and confidence.

The words protect, nurture, and love are, in fact, repeated to me by so many of our donors. Every day I meet someone who tells me they "love" JF&CS. Maybe it's a donor, who, through volunteerism and philanthropy shares that she gets back so much more than she gives. Recently, a donor shared that he gives to JF&CS with confidence that we are going to "do something" that will make an immediate impact on our clients' lives. Donors share that they give to ensure that families can stay in their homes, pay their bills, feed their families. Funders invest in programs that help us take care of clients with disabilities and chronic diseases.

Through your philanthropic generosity, we are able to literally protect, nurture, and love the 17,000 clients we serve every year.

This past winter, we mourned the loss of a dedicated friend and supporter, Ms. Elizabeth des Cognets. Ms. des Cognets understood that the work we do in CERS truly lasts for a child's entire lifetime. In that spirit, Ms. des Cognets made JF&CS one of the major beneficiaries of her estate. She shared that she "believes in the work of CERS and a gift that keeps on giving." We are truly thankful to Ms. des Cognets and to the many other generous friends who have included JF&CS in their estate plans.

We are profoundly grateful to every single contributor and pay tribute to our donors in the Annual Donor Listing and Financial Report. Without your support, we cannot provide the financial resources needed to make available immediate service and support to our clients in need.

Our thanks to you are truly beyond measure.

Wendy Wilsker is the Senior Vice President of Institutional Advancement. Throughout her life, her Jewish identity has been deeply entwined with tikkun olam and tzedekah. She began her career in development at Combined Jewish Philanthropies and has led development at the American Jewish Committee, the Rashi School, and Lahey Clinic. Prior to joining JF&CS, she served as a consultant and executive recruiter to local and national nonprofit organizations.