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Friday January 18, 2008

Feds allocate $238,000 for JVS

by joe eskenazi
staff writer

The term “pork-barrel politics” is always used negatively — and when one is talking about money set aside for Jewish organizations, the phrase adds insult to injury.

But not every penny allocated through so-called pork-barreling results in a bridge being built to nowhere. For example, in the 2008 federal budget signed by President Bush in December, $238,000 was allocated to San Francisco’s Jewish Vocational Service to work with the community’s disabled children and youth.

Young people saddled with mental, emotional and physical disabilities are among the societal groups most likely to fail, points out Abby Snay, executive director of JVS.

The organization’s literature backs her up: Only 26 percent of working-age adults with disabilities are employed. By contrast, 82 percent of people without disabilities hold down jobs.

“We’ve been concerned that when [disabled youths] graduate from high school, they just fall off a cliff. They have a hard time getting into jobs or moving on to college or post-secondary education. We see kids … just sitting at home playing video games,” she says.

The $238,000 allocation — acquired largely through the efforts of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) — will be put to work to end that trend.

The newly funded Transition Services Project will help hundreds of disabled youth develop career plans, get jobs and land spots in colleges and universities, with a particular emphasis on City College of San Francisco.

Laurie Belton, a youth employment manager at JVS, said the project will also work with impoverished young people coming out of foster care. Assistance will range from helping disabled youths get college financial aid to getting food stamps.

“We’re really bringing together the support services they need to become independent adults,” Belton said.

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