Raising Awareness and Developing New Solutions to Fight Poverty in the San Diego Jewish Community
Jewish Federation of San Diego County (Federation) partners with organizations throughout the local Jewish community to achieve its mission: to broaden and deepen engagement in Jewish life to strengthen Jewish identity, foster dynamic connections with Israel, and care for all Jews in need. Currently, the Federation is working to mobilize community resources, leaders, and organizations to address the community’s most critical needs, including the urgent efforts to respond to poverty in the San Diego Jewish Community.
“With 16-20 percent of Jewish households earning less than $30,000 annually, many Jewish families struggle to make ends meet but often are unaware of resources that can lift them up,” Darren Schwartz, Chief Planning & Strategy Officer for Jewish Federation of San Diego County shared with GB Magazine. “We can help families access support that makes a significant difference in their lives.”
Through a monthly Working Group on Jewish Poverty & Sustainability, community partners identify the challenges facing Jewish families and ways to overcome them. Along with Federation, the Working Group includes Hebrew Free Loan, Impact Cubed, Jewish Community Foundation San Diego, Jewish Family Service, the Kindness Initiative and Seacrest at Home.
These organizations are educating those who could benefit from the earned income tax credit and assistance provided by 2-1-1 San Diego and the San Diego EITC Coalition. The Working Group encourages all San Diegans to help share important information about accessing this credit within the community.
“One barrier to accessing this financial support is lack of information; other barriers revolve around filing taxes and having other necessary documents,” adds Schwartz. “The good news is that there is free assistance to access this tax credit. Any household earning less than $60,000 annually is eligible. We ask everyone to share this information via email, social media, in-person, and any other way you can.”
www.jewishinsandiego.org
