Mike Feuer’s 30-Year Tradition of Volunteering with JFSLA
Every year for the last three decades, former City Attorney, City Councilmember, and State Assemblymember Mike Feuer has delivered Thanksgiving meals to homebound seniors through Jewish Family Service LA’s Senior Nutrition Program.
Feuer’s connection to JFSLA traces back to his early days in public service. As executive director of Bet Tzedek Legal Services, he partnered closely with JFSLA to serve seniors, people with disabilities, and others facing hardship. When he joined the City Council in 1995, JFSLA invited him to deliver Thanksgiving meals, and he brought along his 4-year-old son, Aaron, who still joins him today.
That first year, Aaron carried his Barney-shaped piggy bank and asked a question Feuer never forgot: “Dad, we’ll be serving people meals tomorrow. What will they do the next day?” It was a striking moment that reminded Feuer that hunger isn’t seasonal, and neither is the responsibility to care for one another.
“We often focus on a single event, like a Thanksgiving meal or holiday giveaway; but we don’t always think year-round about the ongoing needs of the people we’re helping,” said Feuer. “That awareness was the beginning of my relationship with JFSLA’s Senior Nutrition Program.”
Since that first delivery, Feuer has shown up every single year, 30 Thanksgivings without a break. Aaron has joined nearly every time, and Feuer’s daughter has often participated as well. Along their annual route, the Feuers have met Holocaust survivors, seniors living alone, and individuals weathering profound hardship.
“It wasn’t just the food, though that mattered. It was the connection,” said Mike. “For people who are isolated and alone, a knock at the door and a few minutes together can light up a room.”
Early in his City Council tenure, Feuer worked to eliminate the long waiting list for home-delivered meals under the Older Americans Act. Drawing on lessons from JFSLA, he brought the issue to the Council and convened hearings at JFSLA’s Valley Storefront Community Resource Center. The result was a major legislative victory at the time. By the end of the process, the waiting list for home-delivered meals was completely eliminated. Reflecting on that journey, Feuer emphasizes that his inspiration came directly from his partnership with JFSLA and the lessons he learned from serving the community.
Today, in a time of political division and widening inequality, Feuer sees volunteerism as a bridge. “We owe duties and responsibilities to each other,” he says. “In a modest but meaningful way, volunteering helps us get past division and reminds us of what we have in common.”
Now serving as a Senior Policy Advisor with Inner City Law Center, Feuer develops strategies at the local and state level to prevent homelessness, continues his national work to reduce gun violence, and remains a steadfast champion for JFSLA.
“We’re an incredibly dynamic, diverse city with untapped potential,” he says. “Our challenge is to keep moving forward and never let people slip through the cracks. JFSLA is a crucial partner in that mission.”
Feuer invites others to join him by delivering meals, checking in on a neighbor, supporting JFSLA’s services, or helping advocate for a city where everyone has access to food, safety, and dignity. Thirty years on, his message remains simple and profound—show up, connect, and remember the day after.
For more information on volunteer opportunities, please visit jfsla.org/volunteer.
