Good News Update

Update on Horse Miracles

“Hi,
Just to let you know INTRA staff and friends are all going to Vicky and Zachi’s wedding tonight.
We feel we have a vested interest on both sides.
Love Anita =”

It was over two years ago that we shared the story of Zach, an Israeli veteran who returned from the war in Lebanon with severe PTSD. For years Zach was tormented by the war’s trauma. His brain was always running; medications left him disoriented and some medical treatments actually put him in an even worse state. When he came to the Israel National Therapeutic Riding Association at the end of 2010, the only way Anita (Shkedi) could get him up on a horse was to surround him with music blaring from the arena’s loudspeakers. With the help of some of the Good People Fund’s donors, Zach was able to heal as he participated in therapeutic riding sessions specifically designed to address PTSD and traumatic brain injury.

Anita has kept us up to date on Zach’s progress and some time ago proudly announced that Zach and the riding instructor had become more than “friends”.
Well, it seems that tonight that these two friends, at first joined together by a tragedy, have become something more as Zach and Vicky, his instructor, have married.

A great ending we’d say.

Oh, the Food We Waste

We are so grateful to Beth Toni Kruvant, an award-winning documentarian, who shot this short film for us while visiting Israel last Spring. Beth was taken with the story of the African refugees who have sought safety in Israel and during her visit was able to learn from both Gideon Ben-Ami who manages our breakfast in Levinsky Park and Yohannes Bayu, founder of the African Refugee Development Center, one of the Good People Fund’s grantees. Though the breakfast has recently stopped as Tel Aviv’s weather has improved and there is less demand, our friend Gideon continues to make his rounds to local food establishments every week. We were able to join him on our recent trip to Israel and were truly overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of what Gideon is able to retrieve. So many people who would otherwise go hungry can enjoy some nourishment because Gideon is so committed to this project.

Here is the link to the video which is also currently appearing on our homepage.

The Good People Fund's Food Recovery Program in Tel Aviv

The Company We Keep

We know that all of the Good People we work with are extraordinary and many have been honored for their selfless work.
What a great feeling it was to get an email a few minutes ago announcing that Adam Burke, founder of Veterans Farm in Jacksonville, Florida and one of our grantees, will meet with President Obama on Friday to receive the Citizen’s Medal which recognizes American citizens who have performed exemplary deeds of service for their country or their fellow citizens.

Adam, in the red shirt pictured above, returned from several tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq with PTSD and traumatic brain injury. Recalling the peace he experienced while working the land years before, he started Veterans Farm which provides returning disabled veterans with the opportunity to learn farming, work the land, and heal from the trauma they experienced while serving their country.

The Good People Fund is proud of Adam and agrees with the President’s choice to honor him with this award, the nation’s second-highest civilian honor.

Table Talk

There was very little that Hurricane Sandy left untouched in its wake last October. We knew that months after the storm’s passing we would have more needs to try to cover than we could possibly handle ourselves. One of the more compelling requests came from a tiny community-organized Pre-K in Broad Channel, Queens. Ali Kase, our contact there, comes from a third-generation family and her knowledge of the community’s needs have been so important to our work.

When we learned of the Broad Channel Pre-K’s loss of all equipment we knew that this parent-led venture could use our help. With no insurance, rebuilding their 30+ years of work would not be easy.
With the help of our Good People Fund donors we were able to arrange for the delivery of a full set of table and chairs, each in a bright primary color.

Today the kids are back in school and from the looks of the pictures we were sent, are more than happy with their new seating arrangements.

We Are Growing!

On January 30, 2008 a group of the Good People Fund’s most ardent supporters gathered in New York City on a cold and snowy night to officially launch the organization. It was, at once, both exciting and most definitely a bit frightening as well. Had any of us realized the economic trauma that was to unfold but a few months later, perhaps we would not have even considered this tzedakah venture. Lehman Brothers was a strong, reputable institution and the name Bernie Madoff elicited thoughts of a really bad movie from years ago.

As we begin our sixth year we could not be happier. We have raised and disbursed more than $3,500,000 and helped dozens of exciting Good People achieve their own inspiring tikkun olam. Our donors count on us to identify creative, cost-efficient ways to invest their tzedakah dollars and we do just that.

This morning, we are poised to take our next step and Debbie Klein who has worked with us on a part-time basis for almost two years, will assume the position of Associate Director of the Fund. We are all excited about this new addition to our family. While Debbie brings an impressive background to our work, even more meaningful is the passion she feels for the Good People Fund model. She is an enthusiastic “cheerleader” and “mitzvah broker” in her own right. With two of us now carrying out this important work we can only imagine how much more will be possible.

Welcome on board, Debbie. We are excited to have your talents working on our behalf.

What Goes Around, Comes Around

Hi, Ms Naomi,
Thank you so much for your suppert (sic). I am able to go to College today and you mask (sic) this to happen. I will never forget this and I will make something will be happy, and also I promise I will work hard to pay the price of the amount the you support me with. thank you so much.

The writer of this short note of thanks is a young man named Guy who escaped from Darfur where he lost his family in that country’s genocide. As was the case with so many escaping Darfur, Guy fled to Israel. While there he became involved in refugee organizations, often acting as a translator or helping wherever his talents could be helpful. Always in the back of Guy’s mind was his dream — to come to America and get a college education. Defying the odds and with the help of others who believe in him, he has done just that. Guy now lives in Illinois and this week began his first semester of college.

A few weeks ago we were approached by people we know in the African refugee community in Israel and asked if there was any way we could help Guy. There was something so compelling about his story and, of course, so reminiscent of the circumstances of many of our own relatives escaping tyranny and certain death. Through the generosity of some of the Good People Fund’s donors we were able to cover part of this semester’s costs and Guy’s dream is now a reality.

Typically, the story does not end here. A few days ago we learned that Guy was one of the people who helped the Good People Fund last winter as we served breakfast early each morning to the hundreds of refugees congregating in Levinsky Park. Without Guy’s competent help, Gideon Ben-Ami who volunteered his services setting up the breakfast and making sure it ran smoothly, would have had to be on site very early each morning. Guy was an important part of the success of that effort during the cold winter months in Tel Aviv.

How nice that we could, in some small way, repay him for his own kindness.