Good News Update

Alum Update: Songs of Love Foundation

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.

Our Good People Recognized for Leadership and Impact

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.

Safety, Belonging, and Joy at Camp Indigo Point

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.

Supporting Dignity on the Streets of Boulder

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

New Kitchen, New Opportunities for Kaima Nahalal’s Youth

Good People Fund grantee Kaima Nahalal, founded by Merav Carmi, has a brand new kitchen! When Board members Larry Paul and Mark Nelson joined Naomi and Julie on a visit last February, they saw firsthand just how urgently it was needed — the old kitchen had a dirt floor and was far from meeting the standards required for their growing food production and for accessing essential governmental social services funding. Kaima Nahalal empowers youth who have fallen out of the traditional education system, offering them purpose, learning, and healing through farm based work, truly transforming (and saving!) lives. Thanks to support from The Good People Fund, the renovation is now complete, and Kaima is well on its way to securing additional funding to sustain and expand this vital work for vulnerable youth.

For Good PGH Brings Halloween Joy to Every Child

Good People Fund grantee For Good PGH, founded by Gisele Fetterman, strives to meet the needs of their community and show support for underserved neighbors. They showed up for their community in the most joyful way this week. At the Free Store, they offered Halloween costumes to children who did not have any, making sure every child could experience the fun, imagination, and sense of belonging that come with dressing up.