In her Jerusalem neighborhood, the Rabbanit Bracha Kapach is known as an angel. (though we suspect that description is shared by people throughout the tiny country who know of her work).

We think of her as a one-woman social service organization. Her life is dedicated to mitzvahs and tzedakah and it has been that way since her very first act of chesed, performed while she was still a youngster in her native Yemen. Despite the advancing years, the Rabbanit continues her legendary work – a summer camp for city kids who would otherwise have little distraction from the long hot summer days on Jerusalem’s streets; Passover food for thousands of poor people who might otherwise not be able to enjoy the holiday and its food-focused traditions; daily knocks at her door by people who just cannot provide sufficient food for themselves and their families.

Along with the canned goods, fresh challah, and other basic food, we know that the Rabbanit is always in need of diapers. Yes! Diapers. For many young struggling families, the cost of diapers is just beyond their reach and an extra pack will sometimes make the difference when deciding to use your limited resources to buy food or medicine or the all-important diapers.

The picture above shows the Rabbanit standing on her mirpesset (balcony) at about 7am this past Monday morning, amidst the 40 packages of diapers that we had purchased and delivered to her door. Our friend Shira, who arranged for the delivery, told us how happy the Rabbanit was and how happy her families will be when they learn that she can once again provide this costly but necessary item.

As we suspected, Shira also shared that before she left, the Rabbanit offered her many blessings and even asked her to pass along a few to the Good People Fund and the many donors who made this mitzvah possible.

If you have ever had the chance to sit in something called a Snoezelen room, you know what true relaxation really is. I have had the experience many times while visiting Shalva, a very special program that provides respite care for profoundly disabled kids in Israel.

While reclining in a Snoezelen room, you are exposed to various calming sensory stimuli-it could be aromatherapy, warm lighting, soothing sounds…tranquility is the ultimate goal and you usually experience it shortly after entry.

Our opportunity to become involved in a Snoezelen "mitzvah" began with an email from Second Wind Dreams (see Tzedakah Diaries April 28, 2008, July 9, 2008), an organization which helps to make dreams come true for residents in closed-care institutions. As part of Second Wind’s new partnership with Harrah’s Foundation, nursing homes (that adopt the Second Wind program) in certain parts of the country where Harrah’s has a presence will benefit from Harrah employees who commit to volunteering in these homes. When Second Wind was in touch with a New Orleans’ nursing home that was now part of this partnership they learned about the home’s wish to provide the Snoezelen experience for some of their dementia residents. Experience has shown that exposure to the room’s calming stimuli can have a positive effect on those who experience the often-frenetic and disorienting symptoms of dementia.

Would the Good People Fund be willing to help Second Wind provide the funds for this? You bet!

And we did…

The war that broke out in Israel last December brought many civilian casualties as even more Kassam rockets fell on the southern part of the country. One of those casualties was a young boy named Avi who despite the severity of his injuries, continues to recover. At first, doctors believed that he would not survive-and yet he did. As his condition improved, their dire predictions of severe brain-damage and poor motor skills also proved wrong.

After immediate care in a local hospital, Avi was transferred to a rehabilitation hospital in Jerusalem where intense therapy continues today.

Throughout this entire trauma, now more than seven months later, Avi’s family tries to cope. Both parents had to stop working, a younger child was left in the care of a grandmother and everyone continued to make the long trip from Beersheva to Jerusalem several times each week.

Through the generosity of others, Avi’s family has received various types of critically important help to meet their needs, but what they really needed was some "fun money".

What is "fun money"? "Fun Money" can pay for a cab ride and entrance to the beautiful Jerusalem zoo. Or perhaps, two tickets to the movies to see the latest Disney film. For some people, "fun money" may seem of no real consequence. Our experience is that it is just these simple and seemingly easy acts of kindness that make all of the difference in the life of someone like Avi and his family.

So – when we received an email from Karyn London, the social worker who works on behalf of ATZUM (http://atzum.org), an excellent Israel-based organization dedicated to helping survivors of terror attacks, asking if the Good People Fund might be able to fund some special activities for Avi, the answer was an immediate, "Yes"! Karyn has just written to update us on Avi’s condition and was happy to report that despite some physical and emotional setbacks, his first trip to the zoo was due to take place this week, soon to be followed by a therapeutic riding session and even some bowling! (he can sit on the floor and roll the ball).

As this picture shows, Avi did go to the zoo, accompanied by Karyn’s son Yona, and we told Karyn to let us know when the first $150 in "fun money" is used…we know that donors will sign on to help us replenish this special mitzvah!

Shoshana (pictured on the right) and Diana (on the left) have been friends for many, many years. In fact, for both of them pretty much all they have is each other. Shoshana is 78 years old and as we learned from Avshalom Beni, founder of HAMA Israel… "This remarkable little lady embodies the trials and tribulations that many Holocaust Survivors must undergo in Israel today." Diana, though blind and aging herself, lived as Shoshana’s companion until one year ago when age-related difficulties forced Shoshana into an Israeli old-age home where the rules were clear and the sign even clearer-NO PETS ALLOWED!

When Avshalom (see Diary entry June 17, 2008) learned of Shoshana’s situation he knew that something needed to be done to reunite these two special friends. Just exactly what could be done remained the problem. As Avshalom wrote to us:

"For the last year we have taken care of her dog and have visited with Shoshana regularly, so that she knows her only remaining "family companion" is still alive. Most rest homes in this country remain unmoved by substantial research attesting to the importance of animal companionship for the elderly. Shoshana’s separation from her dog, Diana, has been very stressful for her, since this dog has been her only companion for the last eleven years. This stress has all the more been compounded by placing her in a room with patients suffering from dementia without any signs of communication and socialization. The effect is clearly demoralizing and debilitating. Shoshana has no surviving family. She is a wonderful loving human being but she is basically alone."

There was one solution that would bring these two friends together to hopefully live out the rest of their years in love and companionship. If $17,500 could be raised, the old-age home would give Shoshana her own room and Diana could return to her loving friend.

With the help of friends and others who heard this beautiful love story, the funds were slowly raised. When we heard that Avshalom was close to his goal but not yet there, the Good People Fund offered a challenge – find a donor who will cover half of the final amount needed and we will come up with the remaining tzedakah needed.

We are happy to report that Avshalom did find that one donor and within the week Shoshana and Diana will be together once again.

We all know what they say about dogs being a man’s best friend…indeed they are!(but sometimes mere mortals have to step in to help)

It is only a little past noon right now but this morning’s conversation keeps coming back to me and reminds me how little most of us know about hunger, despair, isolation…

My phone conversation was with Lois Tackett who, with her husband Ralph, runs Manna From Heaven, a food pantry in Myra, Kentucky. We have shared the story of Myra in this diary many times in the past (May 8, 2008, September 4, 2008 and May 28, 2009). Once a booming coal town, Myra’s residents today live with very little hope of a better life. Jobs are non-existent and food scarce. Lois shared that in the past several months more than 1300 men in the area have been laid off and the prospects for jobs are limited at best.

When I shared with Lois that we were going to make a visit to see what the Good People Fund could do to bring some help to the area, she was moved. But – when I asked her if she was having difficulty finding enough food for the pantry she shared that lately, she and her husband (living on very limited income themselves) were trying to cover the costs of renting a truck (and the fuel) and driving either five hours (ONE way) to Covington to a regional food bank, or two hours to a similar bank in West Virginia. The cost? About $350 for the longer haul and a little more than $200 to West Virginia. When I told Lois that the Good People Fund would cover the cost of five more trips to West Virginia there was silence on the other end of the line…After what seemed like an eternity I asked if she was still there…and that was when I heard the tears and sobbing.

In the middle of the morning in a place that most people have never heard of, and on a day that probably seemed just like the day before, and the day before that, a phone call is made and a person you do not know, who represents generous people who contribute to make the world just a little bit better, tells you that you don’t have to worry about how you are going to get the food that is going to feed hundreds of people who have very little to hope for…

It does remind me of just why we are here and do what we do…

With the mailing of our first report, we have heard from many of our old friends who are reconnecting and sending their good wishes on our work. This morning’s email included one from a woman who we have never met but with whom we had established a "cyber-friendship" over the years.

Our friend expressed her happiness with our report and asked if we would send a copy to a few of her friends so that they could learn about our unusual tzedakah work. She also mentioned something about mailing lists and asked if we buy lists from other sources. Our answer was an emphatic "no"! Many people assume that tzedakah organizations routinely purchase mailing lists from outside sources. The Good People Fund does not sell its list nor does it purchase lists from others.

What was particularly interesting was her response to my email:

My suggestion is, if your policy is NOT to do that – why not tell people that you don’t buy or sell mailing lists and give them opportunities to help you? Suggest to your audience that they can give another form of tzedakah by sending you the names and addresses of friends or family who they think would appreciate the work that you do. (You can tell them that your computer deletes duplicates, so they don’t have to worry about wasting paper or extra mail!) You can write something about how not all of us have money to give right now, but everyone has either friends or family and they can help in that way by spreading the word. You can also write that even if their friends don’t have money to give now, they would surely appreciate reading about all these great small grass-roots organizations which is part of what you do – spread inspiration. And, perhaps it would inspire them or someone THEY know to start their own grassroots way of helping the community, as people have written to tell you how they have been so inspired by all these people helping others in small ways… etc. They can therefore be a part of the Good People Work just by spreading the inspiration to their friends and family! (Of course if those good people ever do have a few extra dollars they would like to donate, that would be fine too…. !)

The number of good ideas that tumbled from this email was astounding and proved once again, Mitzvah Goreret Mitzvah-One mitzvah leads to another…

If you have family or friends that you think could be moved by the stories we share, please let us know who they are and we will send them a copy of our first report. We know they will be inspired!

(PLEASE NOTE:If they do not want to receive further mailings from us we always post simple instructions on how to be removed from our list in a prominent place.)