Ms. Miles' primary area of focus over the past year has been on shoring up the infrastructure at JFCS. Ms. Miles explains, “We've had a lot of growth in the organization, and our infrastructure has had to play catch-up a little bit.” And, of course, she has kept an eye on ensuring the sustainability of the organization. “Making sure that we are financially stable so that we can be here to serve people in the long term.”
When it comes to looking back and evaluating her first year at JFCS, Ms. Miles comments, “It's been a whirlwind. And it's been great. I've been so welcomed by the community. I was not sure what to expect, not coming from the Jewish community myself, and the support I've received from the community has been amazing. I have a great management team in place, and working closely with Jeffrey Rips (Alpert JCC) and Deborah Goldfarb (Jewish Federation) has proven to be a really nice partnership. I've learned a lot in the last year.”
"Being able to actually see the people that we help on a day-to-day basis
really is the most gratifying part of my job"
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Ms. Miles is always quick to point out that you don't have to be Jewish to benefit from the programs and services offered by JFCS. “We are trying to make sure that the entire community understands that we serve people with a variety of different backgrounds,” she says. “We're here for people, regardless of their race, religion, sexual orientation or socio-economic status.” Twenty-six percent of the people served by JFCS are Latino, and that percentage continues to grow. “And,” Ms. Miles adds, “We don't limit ourselves to serving only people who live in Long Beach. We have people coming to us from 22 other surrounding cities and towns.”
And the most gratifying aspect of her job? “Hearing our clients tell me how we've helped them. Some of our clients have told me that we have literally saved their lives because of the work that we've done with them. Through our emergency financial assistance program, we helped a homeless man purchase new shoes. Being able to actually see the people that we help on a day-to-day basis really is the most gratifying part of my job.”.
[PROFILE | Kathryn Miles ]