Mark*, an 83-year-old Holocaust survivor from Ukraine, recently moved to Georgia after a medical setback with a low income and no assets. He desperately needs help from Medicaid, and though he applied, getting a decision back could take months. Mark has an immediate need for assistance; he is confined to a wheelchair and cannot manage any of the tasks of daily living that we take for granted.

Jewish Family & Career Services is currently providing 24/7 homecare services for Mark through several funding sources, hoping that Medicaid will provide some homecare hours in the next few months. JF&CS stepped in immediately to arrange this homecare, and also provided a swift arrangement for a safety evaluation of Mark’s home.

The Holocaust Survivor Support Fund (HSS) paid for the safety evaluation of Mark’s home, plus the home modifications recommended to ensure Mark’s safety. Mark is also currently part of the grocery store gift card program, where he receives a $300 gift card every quarter to buy healthy groceries.

When Mark first came to Georgia, his situation was very unstable and uncertain, and he was at the mercy of waiting to hear back from Medicaid for the help he needed. But thanks to intervention from JF&CS, Mark will get the homecare he needs in a safe home until he hears back from Medicaid.

The Holocaust Survivor Services at Jewish Family & Career Services (JF&CS) offers compassionate and specialized care to an underserved population who needs help the most. With social programs like Café Europa, counseling, and One Good Deed to help the emotional and social needs of our Survivors, to more practical needs such as case management, reparations assistance, and in-home services, JF&CS serves as a leading support service for Holocaust Survivors in Georgia and other states in our regional program.

If you know of anybody who may need our assistance and services, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You also have the choice to donate to our Holocaust Survivor Services program in somebody’s honor. Without help from our donors and our community, we would not be able to tell these stories.

* Names and other identifying factors have been changed to protect the Survivor’s identity