As we step into 2026, the MetroWest community continues to show what it looks like when people turn compassion into action. Over the past months, volunteers from congregations, community groups, local schools, businesses, and everyday neighbors have come together to support our most vulnerable families, not through words alone, but through care, presence, and generosity.

At JFS Metrowest, we have been humbled and inspired by the energy and commitment of these volunteer teams. Whether collecting winter coats, organizing food drives, sorting and distributing clothing, or simply showing up for families in need, their efforts have helped keep people warm, fed, and supported during a time of deep uncertainty and rising need.

One of the central hubs of this work is the JFS/FPS Resource Room, a free community space where families can access clothing, shoes, and basic essentials in a dignified and welcoming setting. This model was built in close partnership with the Framingham Public School system, which helps connect families in need to this resource and ensures support reaches children and caregivers who might otherwise go without. Through the JFS/FPS Resource Room alone, 72 individuals have received hands-on support over the past two months, not including backpacks, boots, and other special distribution events that also reached many additional families. In the months ahead, we are looking forward to a series of pop-up distribution events in January, where volunteers will again help distribute winter clothing and essentials. We are also deeply grateful to a new local dry cleaner partner who has stepped forward to launder “like new” winter coats so families can receive them with dignity.

This season was also filled with moments of joy and care for children. Through the Holiday Dreams Foundation, 62 children in families supported through our immigrant services and family assistance programs received holiday gifts. In addition, JFS coordinated 60 plus gifts for children through Operation Elf, ensuring that even more young people experienced the warmth and excitement of being remembered and celebrated during the holidays.

We owe a special thank you to Combined Jewish Philanthropies (CJP) for the generous emergency response grant that has made so much of this work possible, and to the many donors and community supporters whose backing allows us to be nimble and responsive as needs evolve.

The grassroots volunteer response has been extraordinary. Ten volunteer teams, including congregations such as Temple Shir Tikva, Temple Beth Shalom, Temple Emunah, Temple Israel of Natick, Temple Isaiah, and Temple Aliyah of Needham, have organized clothing and food collections, packed food boxes, and responded to urgent needs in real time. The Neighbors Project rallied volunteers to collect and purchase enough food to support 25 families. Local businesses like Salon Arte, youth communities from Camp Young Judea, and area day schools including The Rashi School and Schechter Boston have also stepped up with winter items and essential supplies.

In January, we will also launch a new shared initiative with JALSA, bringing faith communities together around both direct service and advocacy, and building on the strong relationships and momentum that have grown over the past year. At the same time, we recently marked the one-year milestone of our Immigrant Support Initiative, a community-wide effort focused on coordination, preparedness, and standing together in support of our immigrant neighbors.

The Jewish value of chesed, loving kindness, is not just an idea. It is alive and active in MetroWest. When neighbors answer a call for coats, when a congregation turns a social hall into a sorting center, and when volunteers quietly deliver food and gifts to families, we see our values in motion. These acts of care are bringing real light into the lives of individuals and into 2026 for all of us.

Whether you have been part of this work from the beginning or are looking for a way to get involved this winter, we invite you to join us. Together, we can continue to bring warmth, dignity, and hope to families across our community.

Contact us today to learn how you can get involved.

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