Advocacy That Makes a Difference
By Eli Veitzer
JFSLA President & CEO
When people think about Jewish Family Service LA, they often think about the direct services we provide—food, counseling, senior support, domestic violence services, and so much more. But an important part of our work happens behind the scenes: advocating for public funding that makes many of these services possible.
About 40% of JFSLA’s operating budget comes through government contracts. Those dollars are essential to sustaining our hunger services, senior services, mental health programs, domestic violence services, homeless prevention efforts, and other critical programs. Especially at a time when government funding is increasingly unstable, we work year-round to make sure policymakers understand both the growing need in our community and the impact these programs have on people’s lives.
Together, we can continue building a stronger safety net for our community.
— Eli Veitzer
That’s why I’m pleased to share that many of JFSLA’s major advocacy priorities were addressed in California’s recently approved State budget. While Los Angeles County funding allocations have not yet been finalized, these statewide investments are an encouraging step forward.
Older Adult Homeless Prevention
The budget includes $50 million for the Home Safe Program, which helps older and dependent adults who are at high risk of homelessness. JFSLA is proud to be a Home Safe provider for Los Angeles County, and this investment secures funding for this highly effective program for the next two years.
Domestic Violence Services The budget provides $50 million statewide through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), restoring critical support for domestic violence shelters, including JFSLA’s two emergency shelters. While this maintains current funding levels—with no increase or cost-of-living adjustment—it ensures these critical services remain funded for another year. While funding has remained flat for the past five years while operating costs continue to rise, we are nevertheless grateful that this support continues.
SOVA Food Pantries
The State allocated $108 million for the CalFood program, a $100 million increase over last year. This significant investment reflects both the growing need for food assistance and the impact of recent federal SNAP cuts. These funds support regional food banks, including the LA Regional and Westside Regional Food Banks, which provide a substantial amount of food distributed through our SOVA Food Pantries.
Holocaust Survivors Assistance Program JFSLA provides comprehensive services to more than 1,400 Holocaust Survivors throughout our community. State funding for these services was scheduled to expire this year, so we were especially pleased to see the budget include a new three-year commitment totaling $36 million statewide—$12 million annually. This was the result of coordinated advocacy with other JFS agencies across California and our statewide partner, Jewish California (previously known as JPAC). This long-term commitment is critical to ensuring we can continue providing the comprehensive care Holocaust Survivors deserve.
Senior Services Much of our advocacy this year focused on preventing harmful cuts. Working alongside partner agencies and in coordination with city and county leaders, we successfully postponed a proposed funding formula change that would have reduced Los Angeles County funding for senior meals and senior centers by 12%. The final budget also rejected the Governor’s proposed $70 million statewide reduction to Adult Protective Services, preserving support for vulnerable older and dependent adults in crisis. JFSLA partners with Los Angeles County to provide case management and related services for individuals referred through Adult Protective Services.
Advocacy isn’t always visible, but it has a direct impact on the people we serve. By combining government funding with foundation grants and the generosity of individual donors, JFSLA is able to stretch every dollar further and reach more people across Los Angeles.
If you’re interested in learning more about our advocacy efforts—or becoming part of them—I encourage you to reach out to Lisa Shuger, Senior Director of Public Policy, at lshuger@jfsla.org.
Together, we can continue building a stronger safety net for our community.