How many of us struggle to lose that extra five or ten pounds? It’s the eternal quest. For Dana Marlowe, founder of For the Girls, it was her own weight loss last summer that opened her eyes to the plight of homeless women for whom a supply of bras as well as personal hygiene products are a luxury they can ill afford. With a drawer filled with bras that no longer fit, it was the saleswoman where she was shopping who shared this little known fact. With her typical “let’s fix it” approach, Dana put out a call to friends and family via social media asking for people to send her those items they no longer used in addition to personal hygiene products. The rest, as they say, is history. As that first appeal went viral  Dana was quickly  inundated with boxes and boxes of goods. Clearly she had struck a chord with women across the country and even in foreign countries.

When we met Dana several weeks ago we knew immediately why this dynamo had such success. Her passion, her intelligence and her can-do attitude made it possible for her to build the foundation for a national organization that is harnessing the energy of so many others who believe this is a need that should be resolved. With The Good People Fund’s matching grant, as well as ongoing mentoring, in one year For the Girls has not only collected more than 20,000 bras and 50,000 personal hygiene products but has also established local branches in 9 cities across this country, in addition to Canada, Australia and Pakistan. For the Girls’ official launch is taking place today July 21, and from what we have seen Dana’s actions have clearly inspired so many people. Imagine how many homeless women will now gain dignity and comfort because of Dana’s actions.

We’re excited to announce that Charity Navigator, the country’s foremost independent watchdog that evaluates nonprofits has recently awarded us their highest rating,  Four Stars. Since our inception eight years ago our board has made a conscious decision to operate with full transparency, fiscal prudence including responsible overhead and ethical practices. It is nice to be recognized in this way and we are grateful to all of you, our donors, who help make our work possible.

In our house these days, big bowls of juicy red cherries are quickly disappearing as the season’s bountiful crop has made its way to supermarkets. For the cute little girl pictured here, there’s no need to go to the market. She and her family were fortunate to be part of our grantee, Salem (Oregon) Harvest‘s orchard picking yesterday. The orchard included a beautiful pond filled with fish and bullfrogs and offered a bucolic setting for 30 volunteer families to pick the harvest donated by the orchard owner. In return for their hard work  families were permitted to keep a portion of their pick while the remaining bounty was passed along to local social service agencies so that people who struggle to put even the most basic food on their tables can partake of this luscious summer fruit.

The Good People Fund’s support of Salem Harvest has allowed this formerly all-volunteer effort to hire its first Executive Director, Elise Bauman, whose hard work has increased the group’s output exponentially.

Every woman knows how important it is to have that “little black dress” hanging in the closet. It’s the one that is just right for so many different occasions.

For the women who are part of the work of our Israel grantee, Yotsrot, started by Lilach Tsur Ben-Moshe, fashion design is one of several ways they have empowered themselves to leave the cycle of prostitution and gain self-confidence and independence.

We love the pictures they just sent us highlighting their latest fashion show and the beautiful creations displayed there. Knowing that the Good People Fund’s support of this program has made shows like this possible could not make us happier.

Wouldn’t you like to have one of these, too?

Hi Naomi,

I hope this email finds you well. I am writing from India to say a GIANT thank you on behalf of the entire Sundara team. We are here setting up our second soap recycling working in a tribal village called Ashte– all of which Good People Fund has made possible with the support you have given us. These children and their entire village will now receive 2000+ bars of soap and hygiene lessons each month!

Thank you for making these smiling faces and clean hands possible.

With love,

Erin and The Sundara Family

Tzedakah (for the price of a cup of Starbucks coffee 200 kids can benefit) from Good People Fund donors has made it possible for kids in India who have no access to soap to learn good hygiene practices and stay healthy…it doesn’t get much better!

Some of us remember Ricky Nelson’s popular tune, Garden Party, recorded back in 1972. A different garden party took place last evening at the Jerusalem Botanical Gardens.  We wish we could have been there.

This “garden party” was hosted by our grantee, Kaima, the unique organic sustainable farm that works with young people who have not succeeded in traditional learning environments. Kaima’s latest creation is a hydroponic greenhouse built on the Botanical Garden’s grounds. As Yoni Yefet-Reich, Kaima’s co-founder, explained when we visited the site in February, the “farm” has several significant benefits. It will provide healthy organic produce to residents of the Holy City; offer exciting learning opportunities for the young people in Kaima’s program, and of equal importance, it represents an outstanding example of eco-friendly farming which is crucial in a country like Israel where water is a precious commodity.

Judging by this photo Yoni sent us, it appears that there will be plenty of karpas for the upcoming Seder.