by Betsy Threefoot Kaston
I will never forget the day I stopped by my parents’ house and met with Julanne Isaacson. We were sitting in the living room; it was the first time I really learned about Jewish Family Service. She was a good friend of my mother’s and the Executive Director of JFS. She told me about a new project that was being developed for youth suicide prevention. The project would become “Teen Life Counts”. I was in the midst of designing an appropriate Life Skills curriculum for my sixth, seventh, and eighth graders at St. Martin’s Episcopal School. Julanne wanted to know what I thought about having a small number of the students be a “test” group for the new course. I discussed it with the school counselor and we decided to get some upper-school girls to form the class. A dozen girls met during their lunch period to take the class from Ellie Wainer. I attended as an observer.
As soon as the Teen Life Counts curriculum moved from its developmental stage to an actual curriculum, I was there to take the workshops and become a facilitator. I taught the curriculum at St. Martin’s for over 20 years to my eighth-grade Life Skills classes. The school counselors got involved and also attended workshops. This is what I knew about JFS.
It was not until I retired from the classroom that I became more connected with the organization. My good friend, Roselle Ungar, asked me to join the board. I quickly got involved in the Bruce Levy Memorial JFS Passover Food Basket Program. I co-chaired the committee for several years and am very proud that my daughter, Stephanie, is serving in the position now.
The years I had the privilege to sit on the Board of JFS were invaluable. Serving in different capacities, from committees to Board president, I learned so much about the needs of our Jewish community. The work that is done by the staff of JFS is immeasurable. This is an organization that does not sit still or rest on past accomplishments. Jewish Family Service of Greater New Orleans has managed to care for so many and accomplish so much. They provide care for those affected by storms, those in need of emotional support, refugees, the elderly, and so many more. Their programs also reach every corner of our community via Teen Life Counts, the Passover Food Basket Program, affordable counseling, and others. The scope that one small Jewish organization can cover amazes me. JFS is always moving forward, working to help the Jewish community and residents of the Greater New Orleans area.
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