Good News Update

We’re Sooo Proud…

Hi Naomi,

Your two kids are in the final of this amazing award WeWork creator awards Jerusalem. From thousands of ngos we made it to the final three. Met here this morning for production walk-through.

Love you!

Lilach and Yoni

What a great way to wake up this morning! An email from Yoni Yefet-Reich and Lilach Tsur Ben-Moshe, founders of Kaima and Yotsrot, shared that they are two of three finalists (among the thousands considered) in the Jerusalem WeWork Creator Awards.

We are not surprised, could not be prouder and are touched that they see themselves as two of our “kids”. Indeed they are! (But how will we feel when only one can win the competition:-)?

Yes, in America…

We couldn’t be prouder!

For more than six years we have supported the compelling work of Unchained at Last and its dynamic and deeply committed founder, Fraidy Reiss. Fraidy’s story of being forced into a marriage she did not want, is not unique. The statistics are astounding–child marriage in this country occurs in each of our fifty states.

Take 10 minutes from your busy schedule and watch Fraidy explain why “she is dead” in this recent TEDx Talk. She will blow you away!

Did YOU Exercise This Morning?

While you may not have exercised this morning, we are happy to know that most of the people in this video, all clients of our grantee, Spirit Club, enjoyed a heart-thumping workout thanks to the scholarships The Good People Fund recently underwrote for their new Baltimore location. Jared Ciner, Spirit Club’s founder, understands that physical exercise for people with special needs is no less important than it is for everyone else, and the popularity of these classes only reinforces that belief.

Wish We Were There

Before all of the Pesach craziness began about ten days ago, The Good People Fund was excited to support Shutaf Overnight Camp 2018. This annual trip which coincides with the beginning of Israel’s 2+ week school vacation brings teens and young adults with special needs together for a few days of fun (what’s not to like about hikes and farming activities, science, carpentry, art, tai chi and so much more?) before the holiday begins.

Miriam Avraham and Beth Steinberg, Camp Shutaf’s dedicated founders reported back after their visit to camp, “So wonderful to see these fabulous kids having fun, doing fun activities with amazing counselors full of energy. It was truly a delight. And the teens were having the time of their lives in this gorgeous setting – an organic farm – at a time of year when everything is green and flowering. We had to tear ourselves away and go back to our computers. Thank you for making this possible!”

How could we not?

Joy in the Face of Such Sadness

Meeting Carol Rosenstein is a joyful experience. Her lilting South African accent, colorful scarves and deep, deep passion for her newfound work captures you almost immediately.

Carol and her beloved Irwin met the old-fashioned way, before online dating apps became the rage. Carol’s ad in a Los Angeles newspaper seeking a possible new mate put her in contact with Irwin, a lawyer, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Several years ago, Irwin developed Parkinson’s Disease and then shortly after, dementia. When Carol noticed that Irwin’s spirits and energy seemed to rise as he sat at his piano and played familiar tunes, she knew she was on to something significant. In her own words…” music mends minds.” Together, Carol and Irwin began Music Mends Minds, a Los Angeles-based organization that promotes music as an alternative therapy to neurodegenerative diseases. The Fifth Dementia Band and its offshoots are now expanding across the country.

Both patients and caregivers derive enormous benefits from the music and the camaraderie created at every rehearsal and performance and we have derived great pleasure in providing Music Mends Minds with a grant to help grow the organization’s outreach.

Click on the picture below and follow the link to CNN’s moving video on one of their latest CNN Heroes, Carol Rosenstein!

A Job With Benefits

Growing up, how many times did your parents plead–wash your hands!

And yet, we forget that in some cultures the very act of hand washing is foreign and practiced far less often than necessary because of ignorance AND the dearth of actual soap bars.

It was this seemingly simple problem that Erin Zaikis chose to resolve when she began Sundara a few years ago. Sundara focuses on reducing preventable hygiene-related deaths and disease by creating sustainable soap recycling programs for under-served populations worldwide.

As Sundara has grown, several women in the slums of Mumbai have become Hygiene Ambassadors, charged with teaching the community about this critically important function. The women are not only paid a modest sum for their work, but now also receive health benefits thanks to The Good People Fund and our belief in Erin and Sundara’s mission. (Health insurance premiums in India are amazing!)