Touching the Heart Initiative

The EMSF is proud to be the underwriting sponsor of Jewish Family Service's Touching the Heart initiative. One of the EMSF's founding principles is to help raise awareness for all types of mental health initiatives. Many of us are aware of the challenges a young man or woman experiences when heading off to college: most notably leaving behind everything that they have known. From moving to a new city (no matter how far from home), meeting/making new friends, and beginning their academic life on their own, the stress and anxiety of change is palpable. The Touching the Heart initiative aims to help make this transition period as smooth as possible. Encouraging text messages are periodically sent to serve as a base point for communication and support. Ultimately, the aim is to help reduce isolation and prevent suicide in this ever-changing world. We are proud to partner in this ground-breaking program centered around making sure your mental health remains a high priority throughout a young person's transition period. This program has expanded to include graduate students, young professionals and parents. Whether you are looking for support or are interested in offering it, we encourage you to sign up today.

For more information, please visit the JFS website here, view the video below, or see this flyer.

Total Funding

Touching the Heart - $205,000 

• $20,000 (2018)
• $45,000 (2019)
• $20,000 (2020)
• $30,000 (2021)
• $35,000 (2022)
• $25,000 (2023)
• $30,000 (2024)