Dana Toppel is CEO of Jewish Family Service of San Diego, one of the region’s most established human services organizations. Founded more than 100 years ago, JFS continues to be rooted in Jewish values while serving people across San Diego County, including older adults, immigrants, families, Holocaust survivors, and neighbors facing housing, food, and other basic needs. Dana has held multiple leadership roles at JFS since 2009 and brings more than two decades of direct service, clinical, and nonprofit leadership experience.
This Episode:
What does it take to meet urgent needs today while building a stronger safety net for tomorrow?
In this episode, Dana and Grant explore how Jewish Family Service is responding to this moment in San Diego. Dana shares how JFS serves more than 60,000 people each year, with a focus on helping people access safe and stable housing, culturally competent food, and the wraparound support they need to move toward greater stability and dignity.
The conversation also explores what it means to lead with both compassion and discipline. She and Grant discuss why nonprofits need to focus on what they do best, partner more deeply, reduce duplication, and look further upstream so the region can address challenges before they become emergencies.
Dana reminds us that hope is active. It comes from staying close to people’s stories, building relationships across differences, and continuing to show up for the work, even when outside forces push back.
Key Moments:
- [2:52] How Jewish Family Service serves the broader San Diego community
- [8:32] What courage looks like for a humanitarian service organization
- [17:21] Dana’s path from social worker to COO to CEO
- [26:29] How the nonprofit sector can reduce duplication and work further upstream
- [44:18] Why hope matters when working toward a different future
Resources Mentioned in This Episode:
- Jewish Family Service of San Diego – Providing housing, food, immigration support, older adult services, and other human services across San Diego County
- Safe Parking Program – JFS’s program supporting people and families living in their vehicles as they work toward stable housing
- Nonprofits Create Bold, Replicable Solution to Housing Crisis – An op-ed from Dana Toppel, Gil Alvarado, and partners on a new collaborative model for affordable housing in San Diego
Take Action:
- Learn About JFS – Explore how Jewish Family Service supports people across San Diego County through housing, food, immigration services, older adult support, and more.
- Support Basic Needs – Look for ways to help neighbors access stable housing, nutritious food, and trusted services.
- Think Upstream – Support approaches that prevent crises before they deepen, including stronger partnerships, reduced duplication, and early intervention.
- Stay Connected to People’s Stories – Volunteer, listen, and spend time with organizations serving the community directly. Seeing the work up close can change how we understand what is possible.
Credits:
This is a production of the Prebys Foundation
Hosted by Grant Oliphant
Co-Hosted by Crystal Page
Produced by Adam Greenfield, Tess Karesky, Edgar Ontiveros Medina, and Crystal Page
Engineered by Adam Greenfield
Production Coordination by Tess Karesky
Video Production by Edgar Ontiveros Medina
The Stop & Talk Theme song was created by San Diego’s own Mr. Lyrical Groove.
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Special thanks to the Prebys Foundation Team
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