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The Good People Fund

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United States

BirdieLight

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As a college freshman, Eunseo had already lost five friends to accidental opioid poisoning. At a BirdieLight presentation, he found many other students with similar stories. “What I appreciated most,” he says, “was the use of appropriate language (i.e., poisoning vs. overdose) … I believe that the resources they distribute will save lives.”

Fentanyl is a leading cause of death among adults between the ages of 18 and 45. Dr. Beth Weinstock’s 21-year-old son Eli died after ingesting an herbal supplement laced with fentanyl — which inspired her and her daughter Olivia to found BirdieLight. The organization has reached thousands of high school and college students across the US, using presentations and written materials to educate, and distributing lifesaving fentanyl test strips. Their approach, Beth says, “is to just have conversations with young people, nonjudgmental and honest conversations.”

Our funds are directed to administrative expenses.

English B’Yachad*(English Together)-Skilled Volunteers for Israel

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For many years, Marla Gamoran provided a meaningful way for people to volunteer on-site for Israeli organizations. As COVID made that work impossible, English B’Yachad was born. English language volunteers, working from their homes in the States, tutor Israeli young adults from the Ethiopian and other disadvantaged communities, to improve economic opportunity.  The outcomes are profound!

Our funds are used for their minimal administrative expenses.

New Neighbors Partnership

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Refugees arrive in the US from all over the world, for a variety of reasons, but what they are all seeking is a safer life for themselves and their children. Founded by Shoshana Akabas Barzel, New Neighbors Partnership has welcomed families from more than 32 different countries, including Afghanistan and Ukraine. Newly arrived families are matched with local “partner families” with slightly older children that share 2-3 clothing “hand-me-down” packages per year, creating a long-standing personal relationship between families. And through the Summer Book Project each child in their program (more than 400) received a new book to read over the summer.

Our matching funds are directed to the salary for additional staff.

My Child’s Cancer

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A cancer diagnosis is devastating to anyone, but when it is your child, the grief and confusion can be overwhelming. For Oded Grinstein and his wife, then living in Israel, there was one overarching goal — to find the best possible medical care for their nine-month-old daughter. Their exhaustive research led them to a major cancer center in the U.S. where a doctor with many years of experience with this specific type of rare cancer successfully treated the child. The Grinstein’s journey inspired them to create My Child’s Cancer which provides access to research, advocacy and support to families who are embarking on this journey.

Our grant was directed to funding expert opinions on neuroblastoma cases.

ZA’AKAH

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Asher Lovy grew up in the insular Haredi community of Borough Park, Brooklyn, and was sexually, physically and mentally abused by his mother.

The silence within that community – where discussion of such aggressions was neither welcome nor acknowledged – was unbearable. “I needed to go out and yell about it,” says Asher, who now heads ZA’AKAH (Hebrew for “outcry”) to advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse in the Orthodox Jewish community.

ZA’AKAH raises awareness of child sexual abuse, creates channels to address it and support survivors … and seeks to break the silence. A volunteer-based Shabbos and Yom Tov hotline provides peer-to-peer support, for example, and the organization helped pass the landmark Child Victims Acts in New York and New Jersey to give survivors a path to justice. Our funds cover administrative expenses.

NechamaComfort

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Reva Judas lost her son, shortly after birth, 35 years ago. At the time there were very few resources for families experiencing pregnancy and infant loss. Following this loss, Reva found herself counseling others. Hearing from people across the US and overseas, she quickly realized that there is a dearth of resources available to help those grieving this kind of loss. Her response was to obtain chaplaincy certification as well as certification as an Infant Loss Facilitator.

The organization supports people from all backgrounds and raises awareness of pregnancy and infant loss in the greater community and with professionals such as clergy, funeral directors, medical and mental health practitioners. Our matching funds are directed to administrative expenses.