Thank You for Making the 2026 Community of Caring Luncheon a Success

Thank you to everyone who attended the 2026 Community of Caring Luncheon and made it a success! Thanks to our community’s generosity, we raised more than $2 million to ensure Jewish individuals and families, refugees and immigrants, and our broader community here in the Puget Sound have access to critical support services they need to thrive. You make our life-transforming work possible!

I was thrilled to receive such a heartfelt welcome at my first Luncheon as Schocken Family CEO. I am honored to be a part of this community. To our dedicated Luncheon Chairs, Melissa & Zane Brown, Jr., our generous sponsors and matching gift donors, and our incredible Table Captains, thank you for making this event possible.

Melissa and Zane Brown, Jr., Rebekah Shrestha, and Eric LeVine at the Luncheon

The JFS we all know and love takes what can feel impossibly large and meets it in human ways, grounded in Jewish values. This is what JFS does every single day by providing a Shabbat meal, a bag of groceries, rent support, a visit to an older adult who would otherwise be alone, or a referral to someone who can help.

As we look toward the future, I am truly excited to find new and transformative ways to deepen our engagement in the Jewish community, pilot innovative new programming, and help JFS address the urgent and growing needs facing our clients across our programs.

If you couldn’t join us at the Luncheon, I hope you’ll take a few minutes to watch the video of my remarks above and the featured video about food access below.

P.S. If you didn’t donate to JFS at the Community of Caring Luncheon, it’s not too late! Give now.