Good News Update

A MILLION Pounds and Going Strong!

Imagine sunny Southern California with its abundance of fresh produce…citrus trees, 12 month growing season…basically a green paradise filled with the healthiest food imaginable. Now, imagine gleaning more than a million pounds of that fresh produce with the help of all-volunteer crews dedicated to the harvest and distribution to local food pantries where hungry people will share the joy of this fresh food. This was the dream of Rick Nahmias, founder of Food Forward, one of our recent grantees.

In a phone exchange this morning, Rick shared that over the weekend the organization reached a significant milestone–a total of more than 1,000,1000 pounds of fresh produce gleaned since starting in 2009.

With the new Farmer’s Market initiative which provides volunteer pickups at three local markets (with more to come after the process is evaluated) we know it will not be long before Food Forward doubles its numbers and more people who rely on food banks for sustenance will be able to enjoy the abundance of fresh produce.

Preventing Homelessness

Life for Cindy* and her three children is not easy. Having lost her husband at a young age, Cindy struggles to make ends meet. Her job at a local market brings in $1200 a month now that she has had her hours cut back for the summer. Hopefully in the next month or so she expects to return to full-time work. To help, her two teenagers also work and pitch in. To gauge how difficult things are and how close to the edge the family lives, Cindy has no credit cards or bank accounts. Her employer will cash her check as long as she spends at least 10% of it in the store.

In the meantime, the family’s stability has been seriously rocked as their rental was recently sold and the family had to move in with friends and place their belongings in storage. With affordable housing in short supply in this Northeast city, the $850 rental they recently found was an unexpected gift.

The problem? In order to rent the family must come up with the first and last month’s rent as well as a security deposit…not so easy when you have no safety net protecting you.

Thanks to our generous donors, the Good People Fund was able to quickly write a check to the landlord and within a few days this family of four will be settled in their new home. Safe for now and with perhaps a better feeling for the upcoming New Year.

* a pseudonym

Pantry Partners

There is never any shortage of creative ideas to come from Pam Koner, founder of Family to Family. The organization always addresses the problem of domestic hunger in the most direct and creative ways so it was no surprise to learn this morning that their latest project, Pantry Partners has just launched. The Good People Fund has supported Pam’s work for years and we know that if you want to help your local food pantry this is the way to go! Check the following link for details

http://family-to-family.org/hands-on-giving-projects/pantry-partners/

Through Thick and Thin-Update

Back on June 14 we shared the story of Avi Ben-Jano who has spent his life in a wheelchair due to Cerebral Palsy. Avi lives in his own apartment at Shalhevet in Jerusalem which allows him independent living and the companionship of other disabled adults living nearby.

Through the encouragement of Miriam Freier, Shalhevet’s dynamic founder, Avi has been able to pursue his passion of film production and has created several films that have been shown locally.

Avi’s latest project is a documentary featuring the moving story of Meir who was paralyzed following an accident. The movie tells Meir’s story and how he and the love of his life, Lee, are raising a family. The film shows that while we may not control what happens in life, we do have the tools to cope with what life brings.

When the Good People Fund was approached about possible funding for the trailer Avi needs to produce so that he could present the film at a prestigious conference on disabilities here in the States, we were happy to provide a modest amount of tzedakah money to make that possible.

This morning we received word that the trailer was completed. Take a look…http://youtu.be/2CrGn4KTMZU. It is certainly a moving story.

The Art of Debate

Sometimes we are offered an opportunity to step in and help in places where we would never think a need exists. That was the case this past winter during our time in Israel. Despite the hectic nature of these trips one thing is never in short supply-the chance to meet inspiring people.

Golan Jamber and Matan Zere were two of those inspirations. Both young men are Ethiopian army officers and represent the very best – fine character, vision and a strong concern for their fellow Ethiopians as they struggle to succeed in their adopted home.

Israeli Ethiopians, by and large, often fall into the lowest economic strata. As a people, they are seen as quiet and unassuming; many think them weak and limited in ability.

Golan and Matan want to change that perception and when we met they shared their vision of offering the very best Ethiopian IDF officers an opportunity to study the art of debate at a well-known Israeli center. Learning to debate will empower these young people in new ways, tapping into their potential and developing strength and conviction; ultimately, making them even better leaders in their community.

The Good People Fund was asked to help with this goal by covering half the cost of the course…even Golan and Matan recognized the need for participants to make an investment of their own in this venture.

After several months making arrangements, Golan sent this note today. We are proud that the Good People Fund could be part of this effort…

One year after the first meeting of the debate group we are about to set to a new task, this task would not have started without your help.

More than we appreciate the financial help, we appreciate the faith that you put on us.

You are indeed a foundation of good people who strive to make the world a better place.

We promise to make the best of this course and try to lift our community to a new horizon.

Music and Memory-Join the Revolution

How many of us get “carried away” listening to our favorite piece of music? The experience is often transformative—listening to my favorite piece of classical music as I write, I’m filled with joy and a sense of peace.

Back in 2006, social worker Dan Cohen wondered about the power of music and began to ask nursing homes if they used iPods to provide personalized music for residents. To his surprise, not one facility said yes. How was it that this little marvel of technology was not being used to provide nursing home residents with music and its therapeutic benefits? So he set about to change all that.

We recently met Dan and learned about Music and Memory, his organization that brings personalized music via iPods to elderly individuals suffering from dementia, Alzheimer’s and other isolating conditions, living in nursing homes and other settings. The music taps deep memories and enables the listener to reconnect to the world, often with dramatic results. The organization provides training programs for nursing home professionals and others to set up the personalized iPod system and evaluate the program’s effect.

Music and Memory has the potential to truly improve quality of life for so many. If you have any doubts, watch this clip from the documentary about Music and Memory’s work, Alive Inside. Henry will make you a believer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyZQf0p73QM&feature=player_embedded#

The Good People Fund has joined Dan’s revolution. Our grant will help underwrite the development of a new web site to promote Music and Memory’s program and share how each of us, whether caregiver, healthcare professional or even Hebrew school classes or b’nai mitzvah kids looking for a project, can join the revolution.