July 02, 2008

A Home Away From Home

A little background…

Exactly 20 years ago, Mike Aichenbaum was a husband and father of two youngsters, living the American dream. And yet, within a few days his life was turned upside down with the diagnosis of advanced leukemia. Traveling to New York City for treatment at the renowned Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, Mike spent six months in-hospital with his wife and children and Mother housed in a nearby apartment. Total cost? More than $20,000. How do "normal" families handle these kinds of situations-life-threatening illness and the additional burden of housing expenses which can be devastating? For Mike, there was a good outcome-full remission. But he never forgot the experience and how much it cost to keep his family at his side to help him recover.

Fast forward ten years to 1988 when Mike learned about a Boston-based organization that provides free or low-cost housing to families and individuals accompanying a relative to treatment at a local medical center. This was what Mike wanted to do-provide that same type of housing support for people traveling to his home city of Philadelphia and any of the area’s major medical centers for treatment. Hosts for Hospitals (http://www.hostsforhospitals.org) was started in 1990 when Mike teamed with a woman who had similar experiences while battling a serious disease. With the formation of HfH people traveling to Philadelphia would now have the option of finding free or low-cost housing within the homes of volunteer hosts. HfH has provided thousands of nights of free lodging to people from all over this country and around the world. Everyone who participates in this truly special mitzvah-from the hosts to the families burdened with the worry of a sick relative-cannot say enough about how important this service is.

When we spoke with Mike this morning we were excited to learn about the tremendous growth the organization is experiencing and how he is adding more staff so that they can provide the proper attention to the people coming to Philadelphia with family members for treatment. Mike also mentioned that one of the reasons they have an increase in clients is the expanded specialized services that are now being offered by some of these hospitals. As medical advances proceed, some of the local centers become the sole providers of a specialized therapeutic procedure requiring people to travel from great distances to receive these treatments. The Good People Fund will be sending some funds to help cover the new expenses…Hosts for Hospitals is such a perfect example of a small, well-managed, grass-roots organization which provides critically important services to people already burdened by tremendous health issues.

July 01, 2008

Send in the Clowns, Part 2

Back on June 16 we shared with you the story of Lev Leytzan – The Compassionate Clown Alley, a New York-based medical clown training program that attracts teens and young adults and teaches them the very special art of medical clowning. Dr. Neal Goldberg, the group’s founder just sent the nicest email in response to the donation we sent to help cover the cost of some of the white doctor’s coats each clown receives once they complete their training…

We will apply the funds toward two lab coats – one for Dr. Ooshie and another for Dr. Marlin – the amount of the coats with shipping is estimated (as per my last phone call) at $195 each. The coats will have our Lev Leytzan logo on the front, along with the guy’s name) AND our ClownsMD logo on the back. They should be awesome!! Really excited …

With your permission we can order some clown noses with the change!

We asked Neal to send us pictures of Dr. Ooshie and Dr. Marlin with their new coats, as soon as they arrive. We will post the pictures right here once they are sent. Stay tuned…

June 24, 2008

Going to Israel Part II

A few weeks ago (June 3) we wrote about the Steirn family in Florida that had collected school supplies for The Forgotten People Fund in Israel. The Steirns were leaving for Florida that week and we had arranged for someone to pickup the supplies from a Jerusalem hotel and get them to Netanya where they will be distributed to many poor Ethiopian families. We were happy to learn that the pickup went off beautifully and when the supplies arrived in Netanya, it took quite some time to sort them all, there were so many!

This Wednesday, a traveler from a New York City-based minyan will leave for several weeks of study in Israel and he will be carrying even more school supplies that will be picked up and distributed to several needy families in the center of the country. The minyan was very interested in trying to do something meaningful for people in Israel and taking into account the fact that many members travel to Israel regularly, the idea of collecting and delivering school supplies, a considerable expense for families living on the economic edge, was born. For the families that will receive this batch of pens, pencils, markers and other important learning tools, it will make a great difference next September!

June 17, 2008

On the Wonder of Cats and Dogs …

Occasionally, it takes a little time to get used to the fact that technology today is so advanced that with the click of a few keys on the computer you can actually watch a movie emailed from half way around the world! In one of this morning’s emails was a note from Jordan Feder who works with Avshalom Beni, the dynamic founder and force behind HAMA Israel. HAMA is the acronym for humans and animals in mutual assistance, a great definition of the work carried out by Avshalom and his human and animal staff. Animal assisted therapy is complementary therapy used in many different medical and psychological settings. We all know about more traditional forms of AAT; what makes HAMA so special is that the animals Avshalom uses, his co-therapists, so to speak, are often victims of abuse and their becoming part of a therapeutic team to help others is particularly significant.

I have met many of Avshalom’s "staff" – there is Frankie, affectionately known as Frankie-the-crocodile-dog, due to the disfiguring trauma his jaw suffered at the hands of an abuser. Frankie does looks remarkably like a crocodile, albeit one who is gentle and kind! Avshalom’s first therapy animal was Doobie…a gentle Canaan breed who Avshalom rescued after the dog had been abused by a gang. Despite losing one of his front legs to the abuse and enduring severe trauma to other parts of his body, Doobie went on to live a noble and meaningful life as one of Avshalom’s staff. (sadly, Doobie succumbed to heart disease a few years ago but not before helping so many others regain their strength and self-respect.) Cat-lovers do not despair! Avshalom also uses beautiful ragdoll cats in his work.

Getting back to Jordan’s email and its contents — Jordan and his brother, a film professional, produced a short video outlining the great work being done by HAMA, and the link to that film was included in the email. Take a look – it really does give you a good sense of the fine work carried out by HAMA. (and, yes…that big black dog in the intro? That’s LaBelle, the Newfie – she really is that big and she can single-handedly bathe you if she takes a liking to you!)

Here’s the link and make sure to download it in high resolution:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=kls3-EmTXro.

If you want to learn more about HAMA, take a look at their about-to-be completed web site, http://www.hama-israel.org.il.

June 16, 2008

Send in the Clowns

I met a clown today! His name, believe it or not, is Schnookums, and I suspect that as Schnookums he has changed many lives. Known as Dr. Neal Goldberg in his "regular" life, this clown-with-a-heart is the inspiration behind Lev Leytzan – Compassionate Clown Alley, a New York-based medical clown training program that attracts teens and young adults and teaches them the very special art of medical clowning. Neal is a warm and compassionate person which, no doubt, accounts for his success as a therapist with a large teenage component to his practice.

Schmoozing over some lunch today we heard Neal’s story about how he became interested in clowning and how that led him to the decision to try to encourage teens to take part in this special art. As a therapist Neal was the co-author of a book designed to help teens deal with the death of a close friend or family member. It was from those experiences writing the book that he came to think about how the act of giving of oneself can do amazing things to the "donor" – sometimes even more beneficial than what is "received" on the other end. This is not a new theme for us-it is something we hear from so many of the good people we work with. In the case of the teens who are part of the troupe, Neal knows that for many, clowning has awakened new insights and has helped them overcome difficult personal situations.

Being a member of Lev Leytzan (heart of the clown, in English) requires a tremendous commitment on the part of the teens that have come on board. Everyone is trained by both professional clowns from some of the most recognized names in clown performance, and medical doctors and mental health professionals who explore the medical and psychological aspects of medical clowning. Neal shared many moving stories with us of just how much of an impact this activity can have on the kids who have joined.

In addition to the usual hospital and nursing home visits the kids make, there are two other special aspects of this program that we were excited about. Through the generosity of a donor, members of the troupe have traveled to Israel for the past three years and performed throughout the country as medical clowns almost non-stop for a nine or ten day visit. While there they also give away thousands of dollars worth of toys to the children they meet.

The second aspect of the program deals with fire safety and has reached literally thousands of school-age children throughout the greater New York area. The "Clowns for Safety Squad" has taught fire safety and burn prevention using clowning and circus technique to more than 30,000 kids. We wonder how many tragedies have been averted by this creative but critically important activity.

What’s on tap for the future of Compassionate Clown Alley? Neal has many dreams but it looks as if one of them is about to become a reality. Why should this fabulous program be available only to kids in New York? Neal’s hope is that before too long, clowns will be performing their magic in several other major cities here in the States and in Canada.

To help the clowns in their very special work, the Good People Fund is sending some funds to help pay for the white medical coats all qualified clowns receive after they have successfully completed their training. As medical professionals, they deserve to look the part!

June 13, 2008

Ending Hunger in America

Syd Mandelbaum, founder of Rock and Wrap It Up! http://www.rockandwrapitup.org sent out his latest e-newsletter today. We are never disappointed when we read of the latest triumphs that Syd, his small devoted staff and huge corps of volunteers manage to achieve. What started as a hunger relief project that retrieved leftovers from backstage at rock concerts (performance artists are usually treated to bountiful meals prior to going onstage) has expanded in so many ways since Syd began this work in 1994. To get a complete picture of the scope of RWR’s work a visit to the website is in order, but there is one major feat we must mention here.

Syd refers to Rock and Wrap It Up! as a think tank on anti-poverty issues and if you review their site you will see just how many different areas they are involved in. There is no doubt, though, that what Syd and his group accomplished this year, described in the statement excerpted below, is an incredibly significant accomplishment. Yasher koach, Syd and Rock and Wrap It Up! As you say, the problem of hunger in this country will be greatly relieved by the passage of this bill.

Senate passes OUR BILL S 2420!!

S 2420, the Federal Food Donation Act of 2008 was passed unanimously in the Senate in May. This Act was created, introduced and lobbied by Rock and Wrap It Up! It encourages the donation of food that is prepared but not served or sold. In early June, the Federal food Donation Act of 2008 was re-voted in the House, as there were some changes in the Senate version. It passed unanimously…We hope to have President Bush sign it this month. We are proud of all those who helped create awareness of the Act and helped in its passage through our legislative branches.

More importantly, millions of meals, in the aggregate will be available to feed our nations poor. This is our first step into changing American culture to feed the hungry and further green our land by not having food in our land fills. Once the Act is signed, we intend on reaching out to each State’s Governor and ask that each State building become a potential harvesting tool, further using our simple tactic to help alleviate our nation’s hunger issue.