Many CJFS services have been modified due to COVID-19. For current information contact us at [email protected] or 205.879.3438
As we wrap up our annual CJFS Friends campaign, we’d like to share the story of Mr. S, who is just one of the many older adults in Birmingham benefitting from the kindness of CJFS donors:
Mr. S., 71, became a CJFS client three years ago, when we received a call from the Housing Manager at his subsidized senior apartment building. His poor vision made it difficult for him to clean his apartment and increased his fall risk.
At first, Mr. S. began receiving CJFS Personal Care services one day per week for housekeeping and laundry assistance. Over time, Mr. S's needs have grown, as his poor health has impacted his mobility and his ability to make ends meet financially. His CJFS Case Manager helped him get assistance from LIHEAP (the federal Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program), assisted with his HUD housing re-certification, signed him up for the Senior Grocery Delivery program, a partnership between CJFS and the Community Food Bank of Central Alabama. She also began providing him with groceries from the CJFS Food Closet.
Through our "Just Like Family" program, our staff began grocery shopping for him and providing him with transportation to his medical appointments and the pharmacy. Most recently, his Personal Care Attendant has added meal preparation to her tasks.
Mr. S. has no support system and is lonely and isolated. Prior to the pandemic he resisted his CJFS team’s suggestions to access his local senior center and build relationships. However, his CJFS team has become his "family," providing regular contact and monitoring his wellbeing, ensuring that he is safely continuing to live independently. They have supported him through two eye surgeries. They have watched him digress from cane to walker and now a wheelchair when he must leave his home. And when the time comes, they will be there to help him transition to a higher level of care.
CJFS is grateful to the hundreds of donors who help Mr. S. and other older adults in greater Birmingham continue living independently, regardless of faith or financial ability. To join this effort, CLICK HERE and make YOUR gift to the CJFS Friends campaign. For more information, call 205.879.3438.
