Attendees of our first-ever (un)conference—visionary grantees, dedicated board members, passionate staff—shared an electric energy powering conversation, collaboration and compassion for two days at Hebrew Union College in NYC, Nov. 17 and 18, 2024. Here, time out for a collective photo, for the record.

“The responsibility is ours alone to build a better society and a more peaceful world,” said GPF (un)conference Keynoter Ruth Messinger, Global Ambassador for the American Jewish World Service, to GPF grantees and guests. Ruth’s compelling, emotional address, on Nov. 17, 2024, is a call for us to continue and expand our good work in challenging times.

It’s been a privilege for us to help provide home-cooked meals for Israel’s hard-working soldiers on the northern border. Amidst the frequent shelling, Shelley Liss Barkan and a corps of volunteers from around Shlomi have been preparing delicious meals for Shabbat every week since the war began.

For homeless kids on the streets of Detroit, Courtney Smith’s Detroit Phoenix Center is a warm, welcoming shelter where youth can shower, study and get some nourishment. Our recent grant helped to fill the center’s pantry with non-perishable food items and provided gift cards from McDonalds and Target to cover other critical needs.

From time to time our contacts at NOLA Children’s Hospital call upon us for a very special need and Kyle’s case was one. Five-year-old Kyle had spent over a year in the hospital while doctors tried unsuccessfully to cure his leukemia. His mom, a single parent, was with him every step of the way and unable to work while Kyle was in treatment. With limited funds available a proper burial was not possible. It was an honor for The Good People Fund to help make that possible for both Kyle and his Mom.

With end-of-season sales in full swing, we love nothing better than going on a shopping spree for some of our grantees who are overwhelmed by requests for all kinds of clothing for kids, for babies, for women and men who just don’t have the means to clothe themselves or their family properly. Imagine! $10.00 winter coats!