Volunteer of the Month: Kira Finkenberg, Woman of Family and Faith

This article was updated to correct spelling of the family name.

By Mimi Pollack

SAN DIEGO — One common trait that I have noticed among the seven volunteers that I have interviewed this year is abundant energy. Our volunteer for July, Kira Finkenberg is no exception.  The energetic Finkenberg is a woman motivated by family, faith, and hard work. She also feels it is her duty to give back to the community, something she learned from her late mother.

Finkenberg’s parents were born in Brooklyn, but decided to move their family to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where Finkenberg and her brother grew up. Her parents divorced when she was seven, and she, her mom, and her brother went on form a tight unit. She did not grow up in a particularly Jewish community and told me that she and her brother were two of the maybe ten Jews at her high school.  However, her mother made sure to share Jewish stories and traditions with them.

Her mother instilled in her a sense of compassion and giving back to others. Her mother practiced Tikkun Olam her whole life. She was also a foster mother to kids in need.

Finkenberg came to San Diego for college and never left. It was her mother’s untimely death in 2005 in New Mexico that brought her to Jewish Family Service. Finkenberg and her brother went back to Albuquerque to take care of their mother’s affairs and memorial service only to find out she had no will.  Not quite sure what to do, Finkenberg turned to JFS in New Mexico who helped her make all the arrangements.

Back in San Diego, Finkenberg began to volunteer for JFS to give back, and to honor her late mom. She also began to work with the Jewish Federation and other non-profits.

She has her own business in the live music/sports/entertainment industry, The Kira Co. According to the website, her company does Concert Marketing, Ticketing, and Event Planning for everything from local events in clubs to international events in stadiums and all things in-between. She has worked with comedian/actor Margaret Cho as well as the indie group, Phish, and members of the Grateful Dead. She has also worked with the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation.

At the beginning of June, she went on a ten-day humanitarian trip sponsored by the Joint Jewish Distribution Committee to Moldova and Ukraine with Irwin Jacobs. She has done humanitarian work with the JCC and the Jacobs family locally and around the world.

The following are questions I asked her.

1] Which groups/organizations do you volunteer with? What has your role been?

I am currently on the boards of Jewish Federation of San Diego, the JCC, Hillel, Camp Mountain High, StandWithUs and I am the board chair of the Center for Jewish Culture, ending June 30th. In 2023, after nine years I termed out of my board position at Jewish Family Service where I was honored at the Heart & Soul Gala in 2018. In 2025 after eight years, I resigned from the ADL board.

2] What was your motivation to begin to volunteer? Any memorable or satisfying moments you’d like to share?

Losing my mom, unexpectedly, when I was only 30 years old was my motivation. My mom was a giver, but her passion was helping children in need. After she passed away, we called JFS in Albuquerque, where she lived, and they were so helpful to us.  When I got back to San Diego after her service, I decided I wanted to give back, so I started with JFS, and it spiraled from there.

3] What type of work do you do? Are there any connections between your work and your volunteer activities?

I am in the live music/sports/entertainment industry. I am fortunate that I own my own business and that allows me the flexibility to work and volunteer on my schedule. During the pandemic, I delivered food for JFS to families in need for six months. I have also participated in the San Diego’s Humane Society’s Walk for Animals as I have three rescue dogs myself.  In 2022, I was the co-chair of JCC Maccabi Games and Access. I have worked with the San Diego Sports Medicine Foundation and the Junior Seau Foundation.

Finkenberg believes that everyone should find something they are passionate about and go out and volunteer. She says it is a great way to meet people, to give back to the community, and you get out of it what you put in.

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Mimi Pollack is a freelance writer based in La Mesa, California.