What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.

Alexander JFS Friends – 

A friend recently shared a beautiful quote with me from Audrey Hepburn who spoke about the importance of seeing the good in others.

“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

When individuals are in crisis there are times when their problems can seem to eclipse everything else in their lives and it can be hard for them to see the beauty, strength and dignity within themselves. One of the things that I find inspiring about the work that we do at Alexander JFS is the way that our staff not only help clients with tangible resources to make it through a crisis – but also help them rediscover and reconnect with their strengths, talents and abilities to help them find the confidence to move forward.

Benjamin Disraeli once said:

“The greatest good you can do for another is not just share your riches, but to reveal to him his own.”

I think this quote from Disraeli embodies the work that I see being done at Alexander JFS every day. Staff help clients discover the riches that lie within them – to connect with their strengths and empower them to make choices that build resilience and capacity to face life’s challenges.

On days when the work feels hard or overwhelming, I try to remember the words of Frederick Douglas who said:

“It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

At Alexander JFS we strive everyday to build strong children, adults, families and communities so that they will be better able to weather life’s inevitable storms.

Thank you for all that you do to support this important work.

Take care of each other,

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Carl E. Josehart, MSW (he/him/his)

Chief Operating Officer