Poverty is the root cause of many issues that Jewish Family & Child Services clients face. For the first time I was asked to write (as well as design) this year’s issue. I interviewed front-line staff who generously shared their experiences with me as well as two previous clients whose stories were both moving and inspirational. This experience  drove home for me how JF&CS and its supporters help real people. The cover of this year’s annual report expresses this idea – a young person is shown literally climbing up stairs formed by the names of 2016 donors. Once again, this project proved that being able to combine writing and design together packs a powerful creative punch!