Jewish Family & Community Services East Bay (JFCS East Bay) is taking a stand as recent federal policy changes leave hundreds of refugees stranded without vital resettlement services. Featured in a Mercury News article, JFCS East Bay CEO Robin Mencher highlights the devastating impact of the executive order halting refugee admissions and the urgent need for continued community support.

“We are a values-driven organization who have made a commitment to a group of people who we are not going to leave homeless or hungry,” Mencher stated. “We’ve got to find a way.”

With the federal stop-work order freezing funding, JFCS East Bay has been left scrambling to continue its mission of helping newly arrived refugees secure housing, employment, and basic necessities. The organization had been working with 22 families whose travel plans were suddenly canceled, including parents who were set to be reunited with their minor children.

Despite these challenges, JFCS East Bay remains unwavering in its commitment to supporting refugees, turning to the community for assistance. “We will not abandon them,” Mencher emphasized. “We are committed to our mission, but we need help from the community. At this point, we can’t do it alone.”

Read the full Mercury News article here.