May 08, 2008

Chicks and Piglets ….

Pam Koner, from Family-to-Family (http://www.family-to-family.org) just called. It is always great to catch up with Pam and hear about the latest ways she is helping to relieve poverty and hunger throughout many rural areas in this country. In the past we have partnered with Pam in unique and interesting ways-microloans, seed money for cottage industries and other ways a modest amount of money can make BIG changes for many people.

Pam spent this past weekend in Myra, Kentucky, a deeply impoverished town in the Appalachians. Myra is a community she has worked with for some time and with this visit she was able to further develop a new idea for Myra and we are excited to be working with her to make it possible… With so many people unemployed, hunger is a huge problem in Myra…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. Pam’s goal is to start small-with a pilot of maybe 4 or 5 families and then evaluate the outcome. If this works, the options are numerous…we await more word from Pam on how she is going to proceed and will definitely be part of this exciting program to help feed hungry people.

May 01, 2008

Double Your Pleasure, Double the Mitzvahs!

Aaron and Zachary Nessel’s Mom was in touch today-more checks are coming in for the twins’ Bar Mitzvah project. Aaron and Zachary decided they wanted to help feed hungry kids in Israel after they read about the savtas (grandmothers) at Beit Frankforter in Jerusalem. The savtas arrive at Beit Frankforter early each morning to prepare sandwiches for kids in nearby schools whose parents cannot afford to provide them with this mid-morning snack. Some days they make cheese, other days it might be hummous or chocolate spread or maybe even tuna. Each sandwich is bagged with a piece of fruit as well. The boys have been very successful in their efforts and as you can see from their note, they even had a chance to visit Beit Frankforter and witnessed first-hand these dedicated savtas hard at work….

For our Bar Mitzvah project we are trying to raise money for kids in Israel that cannot afford lunch at school. We visited Beit Frankforter in Jerusalem this past December, the Jerusalem Center for the Aged, and met the ‘savtas’ that make 500 sandwiches a day to send to the local schools. The project is called "A Sandwich a Day for Every Child". We hope that you can help us raise enough money to feed a child who comes to school without an afternoon sandwich. These children come from broken homes, or have parents who cannot, will not or do not have the money or make the time to prepare a lunch for their child. It costs approximately $21 per month to feed one child. Our goal is to feed at least two children for a year. In order to accomplish this we will be selling Israeli foods at the HAMC and all proceeds will go to this wonderful organization. We are also reaching out to you and others for donations to help this cause…

Yasher koach to Aaron and Zachary! This is an example that lots of other kids could follow.

April 30, 2008

Even Though There Are No More Pushcarts …

If you live in New York or the metropolitan area, you know that the Lower East Side of Manhattan is undergoing tremendous change as the area is gentrified and becomes the new "hot spot" for clubs and nightlife.

Despite the changes, tucked away on Grand Street where many of our relatives probably worked or lived, is Project Ezra (http://www.projectezra.org) …a fine, fine agency that provides many life-saving services for the remaining elders living nearby. Dalia Abbot, one of Project Ezra’s social workers was in touch today…she asked if it would be possible for us to help provide funds to purchase supermarket scrip for some of the more vulnerable elders who can barely make it through the month with their meager income. The nice thing about this program is that the small local stores, which are where most of the elders shop because it is in the neighborhood, work with Project Ezra to facilitate the project. Each elder who qualifies (and there are many who qualify but do not receive because of limited funding) receives a monthly allowance of $30 or $360 yearly. It doesn’t seem like a lot of money-particularly when you know what food costs are these days, but Dalia tells me that it really does make a difference for them. We’re going to help twelve elders with their food needs right now and hopefully will be able to do even more some time down the road…

April 29, 2008

Birthdays Galore!

Just got an email from Ruthie Sobel Luttenberg of Birthday Angels in Israel (http://www.birthday-angels.org) …it was filled with such excitement and good news! Birthday Angels, which provides birthday parties for kids who would otherwise not celebrate this very special day in their life, is now expanding its scope and has taken on new organizations that provide the volunteer help to make the parties possible. Since January alone, she has provided more than 685 parties-that makes nearly 3700 smiling kids… we’d say a pretty impressive track record. Ruthie tells me she is also about ready to launch her new teen party kit which will make it possible to have Israeli teens share in the joy of a birthday celebration.

…think it is about time we sent some money to make Ruthie’s work a little easier.

April 28, 2008

We’re Going to Help Make a Wedding!

…just hung up from PK Beville, founder of Second Wind Dreams-that fabulous program that makes dreams come true for people living in closed care institutions. PK always has a great story to share…they never fail to bring a tear or two to our eyes. She didn’t disappoint us today…seems there is a couple that has been married for over 60 years and the wife has decided that she wants a real wedding. She and her husband married in the local city hall on the eve of the Second World War, just as he was being shipped out to serve in the war. Now, decades later, she wants to do it right-wedding gown and all of the trappings. How could we say no to this one? I am writing a check this minute to help make this dream come true-it’s a beauty! (http://www.secondwind.org)

April 23, 2008

You Never Know

Several years ago we became familiar with the work being done by a Chicago-based organization called MayaWorks (http://www.mayaworks.org). MayaWorks is dedicated to helping women in Guatemala–women living in remote areas of the country. There are many services that MayaWorks’ volunteers and staff provide but the one that literally caught our eye was the now famous MayaWorks kippah. Many Mayan women possess creative talents–weaving, crocheting–hand-arts we might call them and MayaWorks has sold the items they made for years. One of the organization’s Jewish volunteers, though, recognized the possibilities of Judaica, particularly kippot. The rest, as they say, is history. Mayan women have been creating the most beautiful, colorful kippot which can now be found at weddings, b’nai mitzvot and other simchas throughout this country. In the world of clothing and fashion, you might say they were a hot item!

Kathleen Morkert, the outgoing Executive Director of MayaWorks forwarded the following e-mail this morning. She had just received it from a young woman named Susan and she knew that we would be moved by what Susan shared…

Good Morning,

Susan

We were moved to tears by this note…it said so much and proved once again that, particularly in the world of tzedakah, you never know just how meaningful things can be.

The MayaWorks kippot, by the way, are truly stunning. Consider them if you are having a simcha. We can tell you how to purchase them–be in touch.