September 16, 2008

Package From Your Home

Barbara Silverman was a wife and mother and grandmother (albeit one with a rich legacy of activism that goes back decades) when terror attacks broke out in Israel in 2000. Frustrated by her strong desire to just do something, she gathered friends and families and started preparing packages that were sent off to soldiers serving on the front-lines. When an email was sent off to some friends and family funds started to arrive and A Package From Home was started. Today, the organziation has sent out more than 140,000 packages and hundreds of Bar and Bat Mitzvah kids have made the program part of their own mitzvah project.

This past summer, A Package From Home was asked about the possibility of providing a weekend away for several soldiers who were seriously wounded during the last war in Lebanon (2006) and were still hospitalized, undergoing difficult and painful treatment. Once a donor was found, Barbara proceeded to make plans and ultimately six soldiers were given permission to leave the hospital. In Barbara’s own words:

… on Thursday evening we arranged a wonderful banquet at one of Jerusalem’s finest meat restaurants. The first of the soldiers to arrive was Amit wearing a brace on his head and upper body. He was accompanied by his father and a young woman aide. As he got to the table I observed his girlfriend putting her hand underneath one of his arms to steady him as he slowly tried to seat himself. He looked up at her with an adoring smile, gently turned her hand over and very tenderly kissed her fingertips. The other soldiers arrived shortly thereafter and a festive meal was had by all. After dessert, each soldier was presented with a special gift of sweets by A Package from Home…and they were taken to the Ramat Rachel Hotel where they were cordially welcomed. The hotel… warmly greeted their guests and graciously supplied a special basket of fresh fruit in each room.

Friday morning after a sumptuous Israeli breakfast, they set out to visit a goat cheese farm at Sataf. Back at the hotel, those who were able took advantage of the swimming pool before they got ready for Shabbat. That evening, they were served a sumptuous meal. Saturday they rested and enjoyed a full board of culinary delights.

Each of the soldiers remarked what a pleasure it was to have a change from the hospital environment and food and expressed their deep gratitude…

Take a look at http://www.apackagefromhome.org/ to learn more about Barbara’s work and perhaps contribute to her efforts. She is doing very special work.

September 14, 2008

Storm Weary…

As we watch the news coming out of Texas today, it is hard to grasp the true extent of the devastation that occurred when Hurricane Ike hit the coast at the start of the weekend. What makes the situation even more tragic is that this particular hurricane came quickly on the heels of two other storms that destroyed homes and killed hundreds in the Caribbean.

Our friend, Ray Buchanan, founder of Stop Hunger Now, an international relief agency, was in touch on Friday and shared word of some of the destruction that had occurred in Haiti when Hurricane Gustave hit the island two weeks ago. Stop Hunger Now is our "go-to" place when we want to send funds to help in the relief effort but have no personal connection on the ground. We trust Ray and his staff and know that any funds we send them will be used quickly and efficiently, which is why we are now responding to his latest email which offered the following:

More than 500 people have been reported dead and more than 650,000 people have been affected in Haiti since the crushing storms Hurricane Gustov, Hurricane Fay and Tropical Storm Hanna. Stop Hunger Now is responding during this vital time of Haiti’s crisis. It is feared more deaths could emerge since aid is trickling slowly into the country. "The toll is increasing hourly," warned United Nations’ Office for the Coordination of Hum anitarian Affairs (OCHA).

Stop Hunger Now is working to send four shipments of life saving food and clothing valued at $1 million to provide much needed relief for the victims in Haiti who are facing life threatening situations.

Stop Hunger Now must raise $28,000 to finance the costs of shipping these containers. Although this need is considerable, the need for relief in Haiti is greater.

The Good People Fund has sent some funds to help cover the shipping expenses involved in sending this humanitarian aid to a storm-weary island which could face even more turmoil as the hurricane season continues. (http://www.stophungernow.org/)

September 11, 2008

Growing Old in St. Petersburg

Though Igor Feldblyum moved to the United States from the Former Soviet Union many years ago, he never forgot his roots or the many elderly people living in extraordinary poverty in this city. How could he help them despite the distance that separated him from his ancestry?

Am Echad, the small non-profit started by Igor several years ago was his way of trying to help lonely and often sick elders for whom a small monthly stipend would make a difference. With the help of contacts living in the city, elders are identified and modest sums of money are delivered regularly. For all of them, this small additional income, combined with the fact that there is someone who cares about them, makes life a bit easier.

In addition to the monthly allotments, Igor is often contacted when there is an emergency need (usually medical). When we were in touch with Igor this week he shared the story of L.G., a woman who was one of his first recipients. L.G. has limited mobility due to ongoing medical problems and lives in severe pain nearly all of the time. With the help of a translator, L.G. was able to write to Igor and explain her needs:

Dear Igor,

L. G.

We can’t imagine a better investment of $500 to help L.G regain some relief from the constant pain she lives with and have forwarded a check to Igor to assure her this treatment.

Igor’s efforts prove that small sums of money can change people’s lives for the better and that distance does not necessarily make that impossible. We are proud to be part of this very special work.

September 08, 2008

Sometimes, It Does Take A Village….

Sometimes, it really does take a village to…raise a child, feed a family, put shoes on little feet or buy school supplies for eager students.

We were recently in touch with two people whose actions, we believe, represent the very essence of what the Good People Fund is really all about. They represent a group of neighbors and friends who provide monthly food packages for nine needy families in their Jerusalem neighborhood. All families are vetted by a social worker and all are living in extraordinarily difficult circumstances…a family of 4 children living with their unemployed divorced parent in a 1.5 room apartment; an elderly widow with five adult children, four of whom are handicapped and the fifth now severely handicapped from army service; an Ethiopian family with four children under the age of ten and a parent with a brain tumor…each situation heartbreaking in its own right, one worse than the other.

How does this small group make such a profound difference? They have absolutely no overhead, all purchases, packing and delivery is done by volunteers and all funds collected go to food purchases other than occasionally purchasing gift certificates for a local shoe store when little feet need new shoes for school.

The Good People Fund is providing this group with extra supermarket scrip for upcoming holiday purchases…perhaps the New Year will be better for these nine families. In some way they are blessed to have neighbors who take the mitzvah of lechem l’re’eyvim, feeding hungry people, very seriously.

(See Part II, September 18, 2008)

September 07, 2008

A True Chick Flick

A friend in Israel sent a note this morning which included a link to a newly released short video which features someone who we consider to be an outstanding role model for both kids and adults. Clara Hammer, often referred to as the "Chicken Lady" of Jerusalem celebrated her 97th birthday this past May and neither age nor an occasional "bad day" stops her from providing Shabbat food for families…and particularly children…each week.

Clara’s story is a legend that has been shared with many people throughout this country, especially religious and day school students who contribute to her work. Many years ago, while visiting her butcher, Mr. Hacker, Clara witnessed him handing over a bag of chicken bones and skin to a young girl. Commenting to him that the girl must own many cats, the butcher replied that the bag’s contents were actually for the family to use to prepare a Shabbat cholent. He went on to explain that the father and mother were not well and had not worked in a very long time. Though he had extended credit to them, he could no longer do so. Clara was appalled that anyone would have to eat such garbage and instructed Mr. Hacker to give the girl two chickens and a half kilo of chopped meat weekly so that they could have a proper Shabbat. No one was to know the identity of the donor.

Clara has been performing the mitzvah of feeding hungry people for almost 30 years. (she was a "young" 69 years of age when she actually started). Her story never fails to inspire those who hear it.

Check out the following link to see this short clip:

http://www.aish.com/heroesOfIsrael/heroesOfIsraelDefault/The_Chicken_Lady1.asp

…and if you are intrigued by this amazing woman, follow the following link to an order form for a copy of a DVD produced by the Ziv Tzedakah Fund which features a more detailed version of Clara’s story (as well as the stories of several other incredible people changing the world bit by bit):

https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/Mitzvah_Movies

September 05, 2008

Chicks and Piglets – A Happy Update

On May 8 we shared the story of Chicks and Piglets with you in this diary…in that piece we introduced our readers to Pam Koner and Family to Family, a small non-profit dedicated to relieving poverty and hunger in rural communities across the country. (http://www.family-to-family.org/)

As we related then… With so many people unemployed, hunger is a huge problem in Myra (KY)…despair, hunger and poverty go hand-in-hand here. Pam’s idea is to return many of Myra’s residents to the activity that so many of their parents and grandparents were involved in–farming. How great it would be if they could be given seeds, chickens, even piglets(!) and be taught how to farm…the land is rich and fertile, the basic tools needed are relatively inexpensive… add some education about farming and lessons on how to can or preserve your bounty so that you can enjoy the fruits of your labor long after the fields have been cleared and voila!…you have a plan that can work.

We liked Pam’s idea and forwarded funds to underwrite some of the costs of this program including the purchase of a male pig.

This morning Pam forwarded the following email she received from her contact in Myra…we think it says it all… Despite our "unkosher" purchase, we think we made a truly "kosher" investment on behalf of the residents of this tiny rural community where the majority of residents struggle daily just to survive.

Dear Pam,

Thank you!