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Jewish Family Service of Tidewater reviews seniors, food and guardianship programs for Virginia Beach
Summary
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater briefed the Virginia Beach City Council on food distribution, counseling and its public guardianship program, describing program scale, funding sources and service gaps, and responded to council members' questions about mental‑health demand and local partnerships.
Jewish Family Service of Tidewater (JFS) presented programs serving Virginia Beach residents on May 21, outlining home‑delivered meals, a food pantry, transportation, counseling services and a statewide public guardianship program.
JFS Director of Development Hirdre Osh told the council the nonprofit serves “more than 2,300 people in Hampton Roads” each year, and that “more than 60% of them live right here in Virginia Beach.” Osh said JFS delivered “more than 7,200 meals” last year and operates a food pantry open Tuesdays and Thursdays; in 2024 the pantry served “nearly a thousand visitors.”
The presentation said the meals program is funded through partnerships with Senior Services of Southeastern Virginia, the United Way and individual donors; transportation services provide “about 40 rides a month” to medical appointments; and counseling at Embrace Counseling has grown substantially, particularly services for children and adolescents. Osh said counseling is offered on a sliding scale and is supported by the United Way.
In a separate segment, Dorothy Salamonski, program director for personal affairs management, described JFS’s guardianship and conservatorship work. She said the organization administers a public guardianship model adopted by the state, is appointed by the circuit court to act as a substitute decision‑maker for adults found incapacitated, and provides case management rather than direct care. Salamonski said the program serves people with dementia, serious mental illness and developmental disabilities, and serves those in state psychiatric hospitals and other facilities across the Commonwealth. She said the program has “72 dedicated staff” and cares for clients until death or a court restoration of capacity.
Council members thanked JFS and asked about mental‑health demand and opportunities for partnership. Osh and Salamonski discussed increasing counseling demand, long waiting lists elsewhere for child and adolescent therapy, and the agency’s role in applying for benefits, preventing exploitation, maintaining client housing and arranging funerals when needed. Osh said JFS’s food pantry includes a kosher cabinet and that over 80% of JFS service recipients are not Jewish.
Council members suggested coordinating with city homelessness and grant programs and noted the agency’s role in the local safety net. No formal council action was taken; the presentation closed with council members encouraging continued collaboration and possible referrals between city programs and JFS.
Ending: JFS offered to follow up with council and staff on additional partnerships and indicated willingness to provide more detail on counseling capacity and guardianship operations on request.
