Good News Update

A New Year, A New Law

As the year 2019 approaches in but a few hours, we are so excited to receive the following email from Lilach Tzur Ben-Moshe, founder of Yotsrot, which uses vocational training, particularly as it relates to the fashion world, to help women leave prostitution and regain economic stability. Lilach, along with many others including our grantee, Rabbi Levi Lauer, founder of ATZUM, have worked tirelessly to end this scourge:

Hi Naomi,

Happy new year to you and to your family! May it be wonderful!

Just a second before the new year enters, history was made – the Knesset passed the law prohibiting the purchase of sex, and referring budget for rehabilitation. I’m so proud to be part of the great group of women, activists, PMs and prostitution survivors who made it happen against all odds. I know that women will still be sold in prostitution but today Israel said with out a doubt that this is wrong, harmful and inhuman. So today I’m proud to be an Israeli.
Thank you for all of your support in this miracle. 2019 is a bit happier indeed.
Lilach

We at the Good People Fund are proud of the support we have offered on behalf of our donors to make this law a reality. It was well past time!

A Year Later and Yet…

It’s been more than a year since Hurricane Maria devastated the island of Puerto Rico. In the interim, how many other hurricanes have created crisis and despair in their aftermath? Sadly, this is becoming an all too-familiar scenario.

But–in Puerto Rico, circumstances were even graver, with the loss of the entire power grid leaving millions with neither electricity nor safe housing. Erika Velez and her all-volunteer Puerto Rico Lit organization are still working in remote areas, and recently completed construction of ten new wooden homes in Toa Alta. Just yesterday, this new refrigerator, one of four The Good People Fund underwrote, was delivered to a family with young kids and a seriously ill family member. Imagine what life is like with a working refrigerator!

An “Elul Moment”

A call today from a trusted source served as a reminder of the special significance of the month of Elul, traditionally a time of reflection as we approach the Jewish New Year.

The story involves a young adolescent girl raised in a rigidly observant, religious environment devoid of love and compassion. To escape this personal hell, she entered another form of hell and turned to the streets working in prostitution for several years.

Eventually she became known to an Israeli organization working to end prostitution and in time began to volunteer with them, ultimately leaving the streets to start a new life helping other girls in similar situations.

Through her essays and personal interviews she is deemed a serious and capable student. Inspired by her volunteer work, she will return to school next month to study social work.

Through the generosity of our donors we will be able to help her with this worthy pursuit and, as the new year begins, seek to save one more life from the predations of exploitation and suffering.

We’re Sooo Proud…

Hi Naomi,

Your two kids are in the final of this amazing award WeWork creator awards Jerusalem. From thousands of ngos we made it to the final three. Met here this morning for production walk-through.

Love you!

Lilach and Yoni

What a great way to wake up this morning! An email from Yoni Yefet-Reich and Lilach Tsur Ben-Moshe, founders of Kaima and Yotsrot, shared that they are two of three finalists (among the thousands considered) in the Jerusalem WeWork Creator Awards.

We are not surprised, could not be prouder and are touched that they see themselves as two of our “kids”. Indeed they are! (But how will we feel when only one can win the competition:-)?

Yes, in America…

We couldn’t be prouder!

For more than six years we have supported the compelling work of Unchained at Last and its dynamic and deeply committed founder, Fraidy Reiss. Fraidy’s story of being forced into a marriage she did not want, is not unique. The statistics are astounding–child marriage in this country occurs in each of our fifty states.

Take 10 minutes from your busy schedule and watch Fraidy explain why “she is dead” in this recent TEDx Talk. She will blow you away!

Did YOU Exercise This Morning?

While you may not have exercised this morning, we are happy to know that most of the people in this video, all clients of our grantee, Spirit Club, enjoyed a heart-thumping workout thanks to the scholarships The Good People Fund recently underwrote for their new Baltimore location. Jared Ciner, Spirit Club’s founder, understands that physical exercise for people with special needs is no less important than it is for everyone else, and the popularity of these classes only reinforces that belief.