Dana Toppel: Housing, Hope, and Human Service
From Stop & Talk by Grant Oliphant, Prebys Foundation, Crystal Page
June 5, 2026 · 60 min · Season 4 · Episode 7
About this episode
Dana Toppel discusses the role of Jewish Family Service in addressing urgent community needs and building a stronger safety net in San Diego.
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…
People in this episode
Host: Grant Oliphant
Guest: Dana Toppel
Topics covered
- housing
- human services
- nonprofit leadership
- community support
- compassionate leadership
Keywords
- housing
- Jewish Family Service
- nonprofit
- community support
- leadership
- San Diego
- human services
- compassion
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Jewish Family Service of San Diego
Places: San Diego County, San Diego
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