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The Good People Fund

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United States

International Neighbors

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Their stories echo the stories of so many of our own family members who came to America with hopes for a better life. They come from Syria, Afghanistan, Bhutan and beyond, and comprise about 4% of the population in and around Charlottesville, VA. Many arrived with Special Immigrant Visas, having worked overseas on behalf of the US government. All are grateful to founder Kari Miller, who recognized the need for a better way to welcome these newcomers (more than 300 families to date) when she founded IN in 2015. “Great Neighbor Guides” are local residents who volunteer as advocates and friends and provide a critical connection to the community. In the words of one of Kari’s aspiring Americans, “IN really cares about us and gives us the respect that we deserve.”

Our funds underwrite a new staff position as well as provide for numerous Covid-related needs such as rental assistance.

Music Mends Minds

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More than six million Americans live with Alzheimer’s. Until recently Irwin Rosenstein ( z’l) was one of them. More than a statistic, he was Carol’s beloved husband and inspiration. Seven years ago, when she saw the positive effect playing the piano had on him, she brought together the 5th Dementia Band, and the rest is history. A neurodegenerative diagnosis results in depression, anxiety and feelings of isolation for both the patient and their loved ones. Based on scientific research, MMM’s innovative therapy and musical support groups — as well as 20 bands across the US and overseas — improve quality of life for all.

During the pandemic MMM pivoted to online Zoom sessions, vastly increasing the number of participants. “What the world needs now is music. Music is medicine for the mind,” says Carol. “We can bring such happiness and hope in this moment of relative despair.”

Our funds help underwrite the cost of a music therapist.

Just Imagine

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Abby Sondak traces so much of her personal growth back to summers she spent at overnight camp: intrepidness, confidence, independence, and appreciation of a wider world. “I wouldn’t have traded those years for anything. I’m passionate about giving others that experience,” she says.

As an educator working with inner-city youth in DC, she’s well positioned to give it to those who arguably need it the most. Just Imagine, the organization she founded, provides summer camp scholarships to underprivileged children and teens, exposing them to dramatically new environments, challenges and trajectories.

But Just Imagine goes even further, treating camp as more than a one-off experience. Instead, it’s the start of a long-term relationship that includes life-skills and college-prep workshops, and even campus tours … all creating paths for successful journeys through life, for those starting from the back.

Our funds underwrite scholarships for summer camp, and some administrative expenses.

 

 

Connections Mentor

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“He was the only adult who really knew me anymore and the only one who wasn’t paid to care about me,” says Tommy, a teenager in the child welfare / juvenile court system. “He helped me open my first bank account … taught me how to go grocery shopping and helped me learn about health insurance and other adult stuff.” When Paul Muratore founded Connections, Tommy’s words were exactly what he’d dreamed of.

Paul, a longtime mentor to at-risk teens, retired in 2016 and followed his dream to start a program for kids just like Tommy: kids who’ve aged out of the foster care or welfare system and are in need of guidance and friendship. Since then, more than 130 youths have established deep relationships of a year or more with their mentors, even throughout the pandemic. Together, they’ve proven that when someone cares, anything is possible.

Our funds underwrite administrative expenses.

SPIRIT Club Foundation

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There’s a fitness club in Maryland that’s not your usual corner gym. At SPIRIT Club, individuals with physical and developmental challenges are lifting weights, doing aerobics, and working with personal trainers in a space that embraces diversity and inclusion.

SPIRIT (Social-Physical-Interactive-Respectful-Integrated-Teamwork) Club Founder Jared Ciner merged his fitness background and experience working with people with special needs to open SPIRIT Club in 2013. He later established SPIRIT Club Foundation to ensure that physical health and socialization is accessible to members of a too-often marginalized population, and to advocate for their visibility and accommodation.

“We have to understand that every person is an equal human being who deserves the same respect and opportunity as anyone else,” Jared says.

Our grant funds scholarships for a swimming program, and for technology allowing virtual participation in fitness classes during the pandemic and beyond.

One Can Help

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Paying for a swimsuit helps a boy enjoy summer, but also helps a mom rebuild a relationship with her son returning home from foster care. Paying for cell phone minutes helps a foster care child speak to her dad. When attorney Anne Bader-Martin’s organization makes modest payments like these, filling in where resources are lacking, they stop a cycle that usually deteriorates even further — and secure positive outcomes for vulnerable families. One attorney shares, “Twenty-five dollars [for an ID] might seem like a small way to help someone, but for my client it made all the difference. … She is now employed again for the first time in more than six months!”

Needs increased 40% during the pandemic. OCH served 3,000 children and families, providing emergency assistance in the form of supermarket cards, laptops, rent assistance and more. Our funds are used for a new computer operating system.