September 03, 2008

Back to School With the Right Tools

Throughout the country, the beginning of August brings a plethora of newspaper advertisements that feature school supplies – Back-to-School is big-business and in the current economy presents major problems for many, many families that are struggling to make ends meet. We were impressed with the "deals" being offered by retailers…crayons for a penny a box, 8 notebooks for a dollar, markers, rulers, pens, pencils…all offered at a fraction of their original cost. We were fortunate to know someone who saw the benefit of being a "smart shopper" and sent them off to see just how much they could buy with $500 in their pocket. By all accounts (including the "miles" of register tape that documented their shopping spree) you can do quite a bit of shopping with that amount of money.

The recipient of this bounty was a non-profit that had recently had its entire budget for these items cut by 100%…in other words, without our contribution they would have had little or nothing to use in the coming months. Knowing that, made their note (which arrived today) particularly meaningful…

… we thank you all and your fellow supporters for your generous donation of school supplies, shared with our pediatric patients and families. The donation of pencils, pens, scissors, highlighters, glue and glue sticks, scotch tape, crayons, folders, notebook paper and loose leaf paper, and pencil boxes was just AMAZING!

As you already know, many children and families who come to our hospital for care are in need of these items this time of year. We are often asked to help families by sharing such resources, and being able to do so is so very appreciated by those in need. It is because of people like you and your supporters that make this possible, and for that we are very grateful!

September 02, 2008

A Sweet New Year

We noted in yesterday’s diary that the month of Elul has arrived and with it the start of the New Year. For most of us, the upcoming holiday will bring family, friends and an excess of food to our tables. Despite the warm temperatures outside, even I have started to put together menus and numbers of guests and the inevitable shopping list which seems to grow daily and never ends.

What do you do when you can barely make ends meet? When putting food on your table for a "normal" meal is a continual struggle? How can you possibly add the sweet extras that are so much a part of the holiday menu? Because of the generosity of some donors, we are now in the process of arranging for extra food allowances for people in both the United States and in Israel. Our agents who work on the frontlines in Israel have identified several families for whom a little extra help in the form of supermarket scrip will mean the difference between celebrating the arrival of the New Year with a bountiful table or one that serves as a sad reminder of the families’ precarious situation.

In the United States, our donors’ generosity will allow us to offer scrip to many Holocaust survivors across the country, who are living their last years with minimal income. They too will be able to shop and prepare more than a modest meal for themselves and any family or friends who may join them in celebration.

We are enormously thankful to those who have stepped forward to allow us to offer this extra measure of joy to the holiday celebration. Yasher koach to all of them!

September 01, 2008

Out of Sadness … A New Year

Awaiting me this bright, sunny morning on the first day of both the English and Hebrew calendar, was an email from my dear friend Phyllis Heimowitz in Israel. Phyllis, along with her daughter Tamar,(and now joined by Rena Cohen who has helped expand their work in unimaginable ways) are the founders of The Amuta (Non-Profit) for the Emotional Support of Girlfriends and Fiancees of Fallen Soldiers of the IDF. It was the Heimowitz’s personal tragedy that led them to establish this innovative and critically important group which provides emotional (as well as occasional financial support) to women (and occasional men) who have lost their loved one in an IDF-related incident. The emotional support comes in the form of weekly group therapy, individual therapy as well as shared social engagements where the unique bonds that join each of these bereaved people are strengthened. Prior to the establishment of the group, the Israeli government did not identify anyone other than a family member as a legitimate survivor and critical services such as counseling or even recognition, were not available. Today, the Amuta provides the support services and receives some funding from the government to help them with their work. Perhaps, more important though, has been the radical change in attitude that has come about because of the group’s efforts. The girlfriend or fiancee is recognized by Israeli society as a legitimate mourner and survivor. Their loss is no longer dismissed as insignificant or unimportant. Their pain is real and with the support groups offered by the Amuta they can eventually deal with their pain and hopefully find love and happiness once again.

Along with some personal exchanges, Phyllis shared the following which says so much about the importance of their work:

On Friday, we had a magnificent get together of the bereaved girlfriends. It was such a special time. Naomi, there in the quaint restaurant, we celebrated that THREE of the bereaved girlfriends are getting married this month!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What a joy. What an accomplishment. What a miracle. I am positive that we all….had a part in this. We stood by them. We picked them up when they were totally and completely broken and helped to put them back together, piece by piece. We enabled them to mourn as they should. We encouraged them all along the way and most of all we loved them and will love them forever.

One of the girlfriends who is getting married this month is Suzie, an American girl who met her boyfriend Tziki in Thailand, when he was on vacation there and she was working for the Peace Corps in a small village in Thailand. Their love was deep and crushed when Tziki went to serve in the reserves in Israel. During his service near Hebron, a Palestinian driver tried to run him over. Tziki’s soldiers shot the driver in an attempt to save Tziki, but one of our bullets hit Tziki and he was killed.

Suzie told me that "even in his death, he provided me with my future." Those were the words she used. She came to Israel, underwent an Orthodox Jewish conversion and is marrying a wonderful young man from England whom she met in the ulpan. Our Suzie… We will fly to that wedding…

Today is the first of Elul-the month in which we celebrate a new year and the promise and hope that it brings. What better message to get in an email on this particular day?

August 19, 2008

People on the Front Lines

One of the most unique and meaningful aspects of the tzedakah work the Good People Fund is involved in is having the ability to step in when a family or individual encounters a crisis situation. We believe that if we can lend a hand before things spiral out of control, a more desperate outcome may be diverted. Having individuals "on the frontlines" – people we know and trust, and who know and understand what we want and believe, are critical to this very personal type of tzedakah. When they see a difficult situation that can be resolved expeditiously they know that they can be in touch and, if we have the resources, we will ask them to act on our behalf and arrange for the needs to be met. This can be an overdue utility bill, past due rent, a food emergency or medical bill…the list is endless.

This was the case one day last week when we heard from one of our "agents" who described a very sad situation involving a single parent with two children. While making ends meet was always difficult, she now owed her landlord for past months’ rent (he was threatening to take her to court), and also had substantial bank debt. Working with our contact and the social worker assigned to the family, we were able to pay the past due rent immediately. Within only a few days the landlord received his check and was no longer threatening suit. The donor who made that possible also wished to help with the overdrawn bank account and recurring interest, and it was decided that the woman would receive this help after she agreed to take a simple no-cost mini-course in money management and also actively sought some further part-time work. Our contact and the social worker agreed that while the help was needed, it should come with some responsibility on the part of the recipient.

The ability to act, and act quickly in these types of situations is just what makes our work so meaningful. Though time-consuming, there is a definite "high" associated with keeping a family or an individual intact at difficult times.

August 18, 2008

Remembering a Loved One In a Special Way

One of our good friends just called–he is someone who thrives on creative mitzvahs and tikkun olam and trying to make a difference in whatever way possible. He and his brother are about to mark the yahrzeit (anniversary date) of their Dad’s death and wanted to do it in a way that would help others quickly and directly, as well as recall how important the issue of hunger was to their late Dad. The yahrzeit is right around Rosh Hashonah and how special it would be if they could donate funds so that a family in Israel that might not celebrate the new year in quite as festive a way as they would like, could fill their table with good wholesome food and some special treats, as well. Could we find such a family that would benefit from their tzedakah?

Could we? You bet!

With one call, we identified not one but three families that are having a difficult time and who would benefit from this simple but important act of chesed. The Good People Fund will match the original donation and add further funds so that three families (which include several children) will truly taste the sweetness of honey that symbolizes a sweet New Year.

August 15, 2008

Hunger in America

Pick up any newspaper or magazine today, listen to the radio…in fact, ask your local public assistance office or food bank and you will know that with the worsening economy comes hunger and food insecurity–a situation affecting many, many people including those who have never asked for help before. Rising food costs and the general serious downturn in the economy are taking their toll and contacts we have in the non-profit world are confirming the seriousness of the situation on an almost daily basis.

Today’s call came from Ranya Kelly, the dedicated and indefatigable founder of the Redistribution Center in Colorado (http://www.redistributioncenter.org/). Ranya’s work is almost legend. Over 20 years ago while searching through a dumpster for a carton to mail some gifts, Ranya discovered over 500 pairs of brand new shoes discarded by a nearby store. It was that discovery that led to the formation of the Redistribution Center, Ranya’s organization which has rescued, since its founding, over 700,000 pairs of new shoes and millions of dollars worth of brand new, perfectly usable clothing, bedding, building supplies and more from local and national retail outlets. What was destined for a landfill is now filling the needs of impoverished people not only in the Denver area but also other parts of the United States. Ranya has sent two 53′ trailers to the Gulf Coast of Mississippi, ravaged by Hurricane Katrina three years ago and her efforts have also benefited our nation’s soldiers who have returned from fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

In addition to the incredible importance of recycling all of these hard goods, Ranya began a small food pantry at her facility (located on part of her property) and has been able to fill it with donated food items from both manufacturers and local food stores. There has never been a shortage of needy recipients for the food, but in the past several phone calls Ranya shared that the numbers are increasing and she feared that at some point she would have to turn people away. The need for food was outpacing the available supply. We are certain that this scene is being played out in cities and towns across the country…Denver and its suburbs are not the exception.

Today’s call was just what I had feared–the shelves of her food pantry and walk-in cooler were bare. For the past few days Ranya has been turning away elderly people living on meager incomes, just "ordinary" people and veterans of the war in Iraq and Afghanistan who have sometimes returned home to no job, a family that has deserted them, and many, many physical and emotional scars.(and veterans’ organizations do not always step in–people do fall through the cracks.)

How could we help? If she had the funds would she be able to purchase the food from local sources at greatly reduced prices? The answer was a resounding, yes!

Postscript: We sent Ranya a check on the day she called us and on Tuesday, August 19, 2008, she called to report that she was on the way to purchase as much as she possibly could to fill the shelves and feed hungry people. It was that quick and that simple.