About this campaign
Light for Our Neighbors is a tzedakah campaign of Jewish Family Services, an arm of the JCC Federation of San Luis Obispo. This year, our goal is $5,000 by December 15 for the SLO Community Holiday Feast, the Christmas Day dinner for unhoused neighbors run by SLO Community Cares.
This Feast began with our community. In 1985, San Luis Obispo's Jewish community came together to serve a Christmas meal to neighbors experiencing homelessness. Thanks to the vision and dedication of Sheri Eibschutz and Naomi Blakely, it grew into the SLO Community Holiday Feast, now serving hundreds each year. Read the history.
The Feast serves a home-cooked dinner with live music and gives every guest a winter care package: a sleeping bag, jacket, socks, gloves, toiletries and a grocery gift card. Last year it provided 800 meals and care packages.
Our community helped make that happen: last year we raised $2,500 toward the winter care packages. Read how the 2025 Feast went.
Why we give
Our tradition remembers Abraham and Sarah's tent, open on all sides so no traveler would have to search for the door. Tzedakah comes from the word for justice: giving is part of how we set the world right, not a favor.
The need is close to home. On one January night in 2026, 1,118 people in San Luis Obispo County were experiencing homelessness, and 666 of them had no shelter at all. These are our neighbors.
Hanukkah begins on Friday, December 4, in the middle of this campaign. It is a natural time to add light where winter is hardest.
How it works
- Give any amount. $18 is chai, the gift of life. Other levels are multiples of 18.
- Your gift goes to Jewish Family Services. It is tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law, and the JCC sends you a receipt.
- Jewish Family Services passes the campaign total to SLO Community Cares to help make this year's Feast possible.
- After the campaign closes on December 15, we present our community's gift on December 16 and share our thanks with every donor.
You can also give by text: send holidayfeast to 50155.
Want to help in person? Sign up to cook or serve on Christmas Day.
Light for Our Neighbors is a campaign of Jewish Family Services, an arm of the JCC Federation of San Luis Obispo. Learn more about our work at jccslo.com.
