Jewish Family Service Barbash Family Vital Support Center

After visiting Jewish Family Service (JFS) Food Pantry in its prior location and seeing how inadequate the space was to provide vital services to community members in need, Pam and Bernie Barbash decided to commit to the largest gift of their lives. They set in motion the transformation of the JFS Food Pantry into a pioneering new facility—the Barbash Family Vital Support Center— located on the Cincinnati campus of Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion. The Barbash gift propelled forward an unprecedented collaborative investment that includes the Jewish Federation of Cincinnati, private donors and The Jewish Foundation of Cincinnati. In addition to serving as an expanded food pantry, The Jewish Family Service Barbash Family Vital Support Center is providing clients in need with more comprehensive services, including addressing the long-term challenges created by poverty and mental illness. Access to rabbinic students, community volunteers and professionals offer many wellness group activities that support the case management work of Jewish Family Service in a welcoming and homey environment.