Jewish Family & Children’s Service will recognize Executive Director Lou Albert for 25 years of service to the agency April 30 during an event at Westwood Country Club that also will honor Todd and Julie Schnuck of Schnucks Markets. The Jewish Light spoke with Albert about his quarter-century with the organization and its future.

What led you to where you are now?

I originally got my graduate school degree in social work from State University of New York at Buffalo. The first job I had out of graduate school was in a Jewish family service agency in Massachusetts. From that experience, I really liked working in the Jewish family service agency setting. There were a lot of things about it that really resonated with me. Shortly after that first job, I had an opportunity to start a new Jewish family service agency in Charlotte, N.C. Not many people right out of graduate school three or four years would have a chance to do that. …What happens often in the Jewish communal field is that if you want to move up or move forward, you have to move geographically because every community, generally speaking, only has one Jewish family service agency. I went from Massachusetts to North Carolina to Toledo, Ohio, and then after being there for six years, the position here in St. Louis opened up.

How has JF&CS changed during your time here?

When I came to the community in 1989, Jewish Family & Children’s Service was really a vastly different agency. It was well respected in the St. Louis community and had a full menu of exceptional programs in place. But it was time, in my mind, to broaden our vision and think about what was next. The board was excited, and they were really ready to partner in that process. We had together the opportunity to begin what I would call a series of well-planned signature programs, partnerships and initiatives.

How about in terms of fundraising?

(The year) 1989 was the first fundraising planned activity that the agency had had. We had a raffle that year. Keep in mind that the agency began in 1871 and that was the first fundraising event that it had had.

Were you also responsible for creating the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry?

The board took a chance on my vision. We hadn’t done this before, and it has really changed the community in significant ways. That first year, we served 40 families. We thought that was a lot.

Now you feed 7,000 to 8,000 people a month? 

That’s quite a change, but the part that really stands out for me is that the food pantry has inspired the Jewish community to really think about tzedakah and how to incorporate it into our daily lives in meaningful ways. People think about helping others in a different way. In many ways, the food pantry is probably one of the most visible things that the agency does in having the widest impact.

What other programs are you proud of?

At that time, there was very little awareness of child abuse in the Jewish community. It wasn’t something that people were very aware of. Certainly, they weren’t talking about it. We were able to start a program that was and still is absolutely unique in that it addresses child abuse and child abuse prevention by going into schools … to teach children about child safety, how to recognize abuse and what to do if something happens. Even now, I think about the effect of keeping one child safe and the lifelong implications of that.

Tell me about Putting Kids First, the countywide initiate you helped create with other nonprofit leaders.

Our board really embraced this idea and committed time and money to it. That ballot initiative was passed by a significant majority of voters. It still generates about $40 million a year for children’s mental health services. … Our budget at Jewish Family & Children’s Service alone increased by about 25 percent the first year, and it adds over a million dollars a year to our budget, which would not otherwise have been possible. These are services that have a direct and ongoing impact on children in the Jewish community.

JF&CS has grown significantly over the years in terms of budget and personnel. Is there more to that story?

One of the other things hugely different is the number of volunteers. We have hundreds of volunteers on a regular basis in the agency, mostly in the food pantry but also in other programs. That wasn’t the case in 1989. They are absolutely mission-critical.

How is the picture changing for nonprofits as we move forward?

One of the key features of our future has to do with the generational shift that is now going on as baby boomers move out of the workforce and transition to whatever they are going to do next. … That’s a shift that has implications for our staff, for our volunteers and for our board. There’s going to be a whole new group of people involved at every level of the organization. 

What are some other things that agencies such as yours will need to contend with over time?

We do a lot of programs. We see a lot of people but the question that is becoming increasingly critical to answer is,  ‘What are the outcomes of that work? How does it help people to improve their lives?’ Funders want to know that. 

Is there also a stronger focus on partnerships and collaboration?

When I first came to the community, agencies tended to focus on their own programs and do things on their own. But, increasingly, you see agencies and organizations working together because we can achieve a better result.

It was later in college that you gravitated to social work. What attracted you to it?

For me, it was a great match for how to help people and how to really work in a profession where values matter. That’s one of the things I enjoy about working in the Jewish community. Every single day, I get to be involved in programs and activities that help people and are a reflection of Jewish values. It is not a separate part of my life. It is an integral part of my life.