Formerly Jewish Family Services
Rooted in Jewish traditions, values, and culture, the York JCC’s Family Services department provides local resources to the greater York community (both members and non-members of the JCC) in order to enhance their quality of life.
Have questions about Family Services?
Contact Whitney Poole, Director of Adult and Family Services | wpoole@yorkjcc.org | 717.843.0918, extension 181
Project Manna Food Pantry helps individuals and families who cannot afford to buy sufficient food, either temporarily or long-term.
If you or someone you know is experiencing food insecurity, please contact Whitney Poole, Director of Adult and Family Services, at wpoole@yorkjcc.org or 717.843.0918, extension 181.
Monetary donations or donations of non-perishable, non-expired, shelf-stable food and paper products are always welcome. Donations can be made at the front desk.
We especially need:
We’re here to help seniors stay independent!
Maintaining our independence, and being able to remain in our own homes, are often major concerns as we grow older.
The things we need to do — finding transportation to a medical appointment — are no longer so easy if we don’t drive any more. That’s where Staying Connected comes in. We can help you, or your aging parents, continue to accomplish the everyday tasks of life.
Update July 2026: At this time, we are not accepting new rider applications.
Learn More About J RideFor information or to become a rider, call 717-843-0918, extension 181 or email Whitney Poole at wpoole@yorkjcc.org.
Tuesday Club has a brand new name… The Tuesday Connection.
The Tuesday Connection offers engaging educational and social experiences for adults ages 55 and up. Each week features speakers and group discussions on topics including history, culture, the arts, wellness, and the outdoors. Participants also enjoy occasional off-site outings that foster connection and lifelong learning. New members are always welcome to join this vibrant community.
Tuesdays | 10:30 AM – 12 PM | Auditorium
Social Hour and Lunch | 12 – 1:30 PM
Program pricing is valid through the Friday before each program. Registrations received after the Friday before and up to the day of the program will be charged the $12 drop-in fee.
Please register in advance whenever possible. Some programs require advance registration and cannot accommodate drop-in participants due to space, materials, or planning requirements. Please refer to individual program descriptions for any registration requirements.
Non-members must present photo ID at the Front Desk before entering.
Click Here to Learn More about Tuesday Connection at the JCC!
For more information or to join a single session, call 717-843-0918, extension 181 or email Whitney Poole at wpoole@yorkjcc.org.
In the event of inclement weather, please check your email and the JCC website for updates. Every effort will be made to let you know the evening before.
For information or to join Men’s Think Tank or Stitches of Love, call 717-843-0918, extension 181 or email Whitney Poole at wpoole@yorkjcc.org.
The history of the JCC’s Family Services, formerly Jewish Family Services (JFS)
1988—Founded as a social service agency for York’s Jewish community. Its part-time executive director, Joan Krechmer, works out of a small office in the JCC basement in downtown York.
1989—Moves to the new JCC near Queensgate and provides core services of case management and outreach. Other initial programs reach out to the growing number of interfaith families, and to B’nai Mitzvot and their families in an effort to return the lifecycle event to its spiritual foundation.
1990—Brings together the York Jewish community to resettle the Milners, the first of five Jewish families resettled to York after fleeing the disintegrating Soviet Bloc.
1990s—Involves teens in mitzvah projects on topics as diverse as AIDS, aging and animal welfare using grants from the Freas Foundation and the York Foundation. This begins a tradition of intergenerational programming.
1993—Joins a regional Jewish Connections program for singles.
1993—Begins coordinating the Jewish community’s monthly volunteersupport for Our Daily Bread Soup Kitchen.
1994—Parenting educator Jessica Brein offers classes and several years later launches The Parenting Place to improve communication skills.
1995—Wins the first of 14 Kovod Awards from the Association of Jewish Family & Children’s Agencies, recognizing excellence in programs and publications. The first award recognizes JFS’s quarterly newsletter.
1999—Receives first grant from Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger.
2000—The Project Manna food pantry begins operation.
2000—Renown Watergate journalist Carl Bernstein speaks in York to celebrate JFS’s anniversary.
2002—Staying Connected, an escorted senior transportation program, begins with a $25,000 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation grant. Linda Love coordinates the program that brings together six congregations.
2002—The first Hunger Walk-A-Thon is held on the Rail Trail.
2003—Begins offering guardianship services throughout the York community; in 2008, Joan Krechmer becomes one of the area’s two National Certified Guardians.
2003—The High Holy Day Food Drive is launched.
2004—The Lunch Bunch for women coalesces, fostering and reigniting friendships. Two years later, the Men’s Think Tank follows suit.
2004—Betty Hoke helps JFS launch Stitches of Love.
2007—Working with Jewish War Veterans President Jerry Cohen and his wife Toby, JFS launches an interfaith, intergenerational Veterans Memorial Day project, bringing together York Catholic High School students, and Jewish teens and adults to place flags on graves.
2008—Executive Director Joan Krechmer becomes a certified geriatric care manager, launches the Wise Options program.
2008—A 20th anniversary gala at the Out Door Country Club honors JFS founding father Allan Dameshek.
2009—Staying Connected joins with the Area Agency on Aging to recruit Medicare counseling volunteers, expanding the APPRISE counseling program.
2009—More than five years after its website debut, JFS joins Facebook and promotes its first Band Together for a Cause fundraiser.
2010—Partnering with York College Gerontology Professor Mary Ligon, JFS launches an oral history project involving students and seniors.
2010—Assumes oversight of Veterans Memorial Project and annual community Memorial Weekend Service at South Hill Hebrew Cemetery.
2011—Joins the Embracing Aging Initiative Committee of the York County Community Foundation. The next year, JFS produces video profiles of three active area seniors, funded by a foundation grant.
2013—With a grant from the state justice institute, consults with the York County Court System to develop a model guardianship education and training program.
2021—JFS is officially acquired by the York Jewish Community Center.
2025— The department is officially renamed Adult and Family Services.
Men’s Think Tank
Venezia Restaurant & Café at 11:30 AM
Stonybrook Family Restaurant at 11:30 AM