Sometimes, we are truly amazed at how much good we can facilitate in the early morning hours. By 7am today we were involved in an exchange with Randi Cairns, founder of Home Front Hearts.

Mother of four, wife of a soldier who has just been deployed (again) to Afghanistan, Randi began Home Front Hearts to raise awareness of, and offer help to military families, particularly from their local communities.

Randi and I spoke about Susan* whose military husband is now stateside since Susan’s breast cancer diagnosis. Trained as a nurse and with an advanced degree in social work, Susan’s illness and her husband’s recent transfer to a new base in a warmer climate are creating short term difficulties for this family with four children. They now find themselves in financial distress and yet, along the way, people have appeared to help. A few days ago, Susan stopped at the gas station, kids in tow, and suddenly realized she did not have money for gas. As she gathered the kids and prepared to walk home, a farmer, filling his own tank, quietly filled hers and sent her on her way.

Randi had managed to find funds for food and weather-appropriate clothes for the family but their car is now in danger of being repossessed since they have been unable to make the last few payments. Randi told us that in spite of all of this she learned that Susan manages to put it all in perspective. In an earlier email to Randi, Susan shared the following:

…You inspire me. I talked about you today when I spoke with a lady I met at the pharmacy. Her mother had survived the Holocaust, and she wanted me to know that we "Humans" can do anything, but often it isn’t easy. She told me how strong her mother would have to have been, and that she never gave up!! My battle is nowhere comparable, however I realize this is part of my "test." My goal from now on is to never give up!

By the time Randi and I finished our conversation, the Good People Fund had committed several payments towards the car (which is nearly paid off). Hopefully Susan’s optimism will prevail while her family struggles to stay afloat.

* a pseudonym

SEE DIARY ENTRY FOR 4/13 WITH AN UPDATE ON THIS STORY

I cannot express how you truly make the Passover meal possible to my immediate family…we thank you so much, especially this year which is so financially burdensome for us. You are more than Good People-you are Great People!

—-Linda

Linda’s note is one of many we have received in the past few days as our Passover food coupons have arrived in the homes of people who we have identified as being in need of help with this food-centric holiday.

In addition to our US recipients, more than $20,000 was sent to Israel for the purchase of both food coupons and thousands of boxes of matzah which the Rabbanit Kapach is distributing this week.

Now, if we could just finish our own shopping!

While many of us will be trapped in our kitchens on Monday, April 18, Marvin Wolfert, a fan of our work from Foxboro, Massachusetts will be gearing up for the run of his life. Having qualified for the Boston Marathon, Marvin decided to inject some tzedakah into his grueling effort and has asked friends and family to donate to the Good People Fund in his honor.

We have already received many contributions and want to wish Marvin a quick and safe run to the finish line.

Will he really be able to sit at the Seder table that night?

I want to thank you and Birthday Angels for the great birthday party you and Liat arranged for my 11 year old daughter Anna.

Sorry for my English…

This note was sent to Ruthie Sobel Luttenberg, founder of Birthday Angels, one of our Israel programs that bring joy and happiness to kids whose family might not (for economic or health reasons) be able to provide them with an appropriate celebration. When we visited Israel several weeks ago we met with Ruthie and reminded her about Jeremy’s Circle, another organization we fund which was founded by Pamela Becker and her late husband Jeremy Coleman, before he succumbed (a few years ago) to cancer. Jeremy’s Circle provides support and activities for kids who have a parent or sibling with cancer or other life-threatening illnesses. When Ruthie and Pamela spoke, Ruthie offered her help with providing parties for these kids and recently the first party was held. As Pamela shared with us…

The mom (of this birthday girl) has been with us since the beginning. … She notes (in the above letter) that she had just left the hospital following a course of chemo and otherwise would not have had the strength to arrange a party for her daughter. We celebrated her daughter’s last birthday at the event at the ecological farm in Modiin.

These are just the kinds of connections we love to make for all of our programs!

Judy Jaffe, Director of Jewish Learning at Congregation Shomrei Emunah in NJ, called this morning with a problem. Her students were going to be decorating oven mitts later in the afternoon and she really wanted to find a good home for these creations. Could we help?

Within 20 minutes I connected Judy to Dalia Abbott, one of the dedicated social workers at Project Ezra on the Lower East Side. Dalia has many elders still living on their own for whom a new oven mitt, decorated and sent with love from a youngster, would be a welcome kitchen addition.

From the looks of this picture, it appears that the kids had a ball. We know a dozen mitts are on their way to new homes in New York. We can only imagine how many briskets and chocolate cookies they might help lift from the oven!