January 2026

Along a tree-lined street near Dupont Circle in our nation’s capital, sits a stately old brownstone much like every other home on the block. But this house is different. Within its four walls is an idyllic interfaith community where Muslims, Christians, Jews and Baha’i build bridges of understanding and tolerance. Abrahamic House is the dream of Good People Fund grantee Mohammed (Mo to most people) Al Samawi who grew up in Yemen and found his way to the United States in a stunning story that Mo recounts in his book, The Fox Hunt.

Abrahamic House is an antidote for the current dissension and hatred of the other permeating our world. Fellows share traditions, exchange ideas of tolerance and share their programs with the larger DC audience, building bridges along the way.

Please listen to Julie Fisher’s conversation with Mo on our Good People Talk! podcast linked here. His vision was made for this moment in time.

As 2025 comes to an end … a few personal words. It has been a challenging year. We have lost a beloved member of the Good People Fund team when Glenn Rosenkrantz died suddenly a few weeks ago. For eight years Glenn not only crafted our words but was deeply committed to all that GPF stands for.

For the past 18 years I have watched natural disasters, wars, and today, the most serious assault on our democracy and our shared humanity. Our grantees who serve on the frontlines of most of this chaos are paying the price and we are here to help them. In your name, we are able to meet these challenges.

Thank you for continuing to help us as the year closes. It is critically important.

Naomi

Songs of Love Foundation, founded by John Beltzer, brings comfort and joy through personalized music for children, teens, and adults facing illness.

Based in Forest Hills, NY, Songs of Love has partnered with Suno, an innovative music technology company, to expand the reach of their deeply moving work. Together, they are scaling the creation of custom “Songs of Love” providing original songs tailored to each recipient’s name, favorite activities, musical tastes, and even beloved pets.

Through this partnership, Songs of Love is now able to empower volunteers with music tools, expand its global community of creators, and dramatically increase the number of personalized songs delivered each year.

Suno has also launched the Songs of Love Creator Program, inviting musicians and creators around the world to contribute their talents to this meaningful mission.

With nearly 30 years of impact behind them, Songs of Love is now poised to reach even more people, proving once again that music has the power to heal, connect, and uplift.

We are proud to celebrate several of our extraordinary Good People who are being recognized for their leadership, impact, and dedication to building a more compassionate world:

Sarit Wishnevski (USA), Executive Director of Kavod v’Nichum, has been accepted into Class 10 of the Wexner Fellowship, a prestigious leadership program that supports visionary Jewish leaders making meaningful change.

Reva Judas (USA), Founder of NechamaComfort, has been selected to participate in an UpStart Cohort, recognizing the powerful impact of her work supporting individuals and families in moments of grief and transition.

Racheli Tadessa Malkai (Israel), Founder of Ma’atzimot- Empowering Ethiopian Women, has been awarded the 2025 Minister’s Award for Social Equality and the Advancement of Women. This honor recognizes her extraordinary social impact, her leadership in uplifting women, and her dedication to building a strong, inspiring, and empowered community.

Esty Bitton Shushan (Israel), Founder of Nivcharot, Haredi and Mizrahi activist, and celebrated Israeli filmmaker, returns to the Miami Jewish Film Festival with her first narrative feature, The Book of Ruth, which follows her acclaimed film Women of Valor. This powerful and deeply emotional drama will make its international premiere, continuing Esty’s important work amplifying voices and stories too often left unheard.

Shari Mendes (Israel), Founder of the Lemonade Fund, has been honored with an Iron Woman Award in recognition of her extraordinary courage and service following October 7. Shari was recognized for her sacred and selfless work preparing bodies for burial during an unimaginably painful time, ensuring dignity and respect for those who had lost their lives. This honor also recognizes her ongoing leadership through the Lemonade Fund, where she supports individuals and families in moments of profound need.

We are continually inspired by the courage, creativity, and compassion of our grantees. Their work embodies the very best of what it means to repair the world, one person, one community, and one idea at a time.

A  note arrived from Camp Indigo Point, sharing an update from their incredible summer:

“We had a full camp of kids and staff, and launched a new high school adventure program in Colorado. Parents tell us every day how transformative camp was for their kids, and many of them are still in touch with the friends they made. Thank you for helping make us feel safe by supporting our security team.”

The Good People’s Fund’s Uplifting Lives Program helped fund camp security this summer at a camp for gender-diverse children, creating a safe, joyful space where young people could grow, connect, and just be kids.

This week Naomi and Julie met with Good People Fund grantee Jenn Livovich, Founder of Streetscape, which offers care, connection, and dignity to people experiencing homelessness in Boulder. Jenn’s lived experience as a formerly homeless person informs every part of her work. She recognizes gaps in care and moves quickly to fill them.

Thanks to your support, Good People Fund is helping Jenn do exactly that by funding:

• Hand warmers and beanie hats for immediate winter warmth
• Clear signage for their outreach van so people in need can find them more easily
• Hygiene, first aid, and winter essentials when donations run low
• Storage support for the small unit that holds all resources for mobile outreach
• Bus passes and gas cards to help people reach shelters, medical appointments, job interviews, and new jobs
• Hard-to-find clothing sizes, especially men’s items rarely donated

December 2025

Recently, I had lunch with a friend. Over sandwiches and conversation, she shared something that has been weighing on her heart: a worry that there are fewer good people in the world today. She wondered whether I too felt that concern.

I told her without a moment of hesitation that every day, in large ways and small, I have the privilege of seeing so many good people. People who care deeply. People who want to help, to heal, to offer dignity and compassion. People exploring how to put their goodness into action. People whose generosity puts more good into the world. All are good at heart, often waiting for an invitation or a way to add more good.

Her question stayed with me over the past two weeks as I met ten of our Good People Fund grantees in person, a rare treat. And in each visit, I saw the same truth: good people are everywhere.

Their work takes many forms.

Good people are feeding hungry families at the Food Project, making sure every meal is offered with dignity.

Good people are welcoming newcomers at Refugee Assistance Alliance, giving them safety, community, and a sense of belonging.

Good people are rebuilding lives at MyChild’sCancer, walking beside those at life’s most challenging time.   

Good people are building bridges of understanding through projects like Rekindle, where conversations once thought impossible are now shaping a more hopeful future.

Good people are restoring purpose and meaning for underserved youth at Kaima Farms, offering a new path of belonging. 

These moments, such as watching a warm meal handed to someone who has not eaten that day, hearing a young adult describe newfound confidence, or seeing people from different worlds listen to one another with respect, are reminders that goodness is not scarce. It is abundant. It is everywhere. And it grows when someone extends an invitation.

That is the thread that ties our work together: when we say yes to goodness, it ripples outward.

Our work is sustained because of the good people who choose to make it possible. Your partnership, your generosity, your belief in our mission, and your trust in The Good People Fund nurture the extraordinary social visionaries we support. You help restore dignity, build community, strengthen lives, and open doors for others to join this circle of good. 

The fact that I get to witness this goodness every day is a profound privilege.

This month on Good People Talk! — our popular monthly podcast — Naomi spotlights the bridge building work of Rabbi Elhanan Miller, Founder of People of the Book, our grantee whose courageous outreach to the Arab world deepens understanding between cultures. His work, and the work of every Good People Fund grantee, is made possible because people like you choose to partner with us in repairing the world.

As we approach Thanksgiving, our hearts are full. We are deeply grateful for your trust, your warmth, your generosity, and your belief that good people working together can change lives.

You are the answer to the question my friend asked. Good people are everywhere. Thank you for being part of a community that continues to say yes to goodness.

Julie