United States

Witness to Mass Incarceration

Evie Litwok arrived in NYC penniless, homeless and jobless after time in Federal prison. She knows well that establishing a life after incarceration is challenging and frequently defeating, especially for women, LGBTQ+ individuals and others facing systemic and cultural disadvantages and the stigma of having been in in prison.

She used her experience as a social activist – culled from years in the women’s and gay rights movements – to establish Witness to Mass Incarceration to advocate for prison reform, and to help those just released from the penal system move more smoothly back into society.

WMI runs several projects helping those returning to open society as well as those who have been free for
some time and trying to rebuild their lives. The Suitcase Project provides a cellphone, laptop and gift cards to
purchase essential items. WMI’s latest program, The MAP, is a unique online directory of businesses owned by formerly incarcerated individuals.

Our funds underwrite administrative expenses and supermarket gift cards distributed to newly released individuals.

International Neighbors

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

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 5^th 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

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.

SPIRIT Club Foundation

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.

Uplifting Lives, One At a Time

Perhaps the most profound lesson we learn each day is that people’s lives can disintegrate precipitously, with little warning and, all too often, with little hope for change. Those with the fewest resources are at greatest risk.

Sometimes we learn about these situations from the very organizations we support; other sources are social workers or doctors with whom we have developed a close relationship and who know that when no other resources are available we can be “a place to turn where all else fails.” Sometimes this means saving a life⎯literally.

In addition to “keeping the lights on,” we also provide emergency funds for food, medical needs, summer camp and rent. Sometimes, by joining forces with other resources, we are able to mitigate even more serious needs, such as purchasing a car for an otherwise self-sufficient victim of domestic violence, or paying tuition for young men and women who have chosen to leave their insular, ultra-religious community, losing both family and friends in the process.

In each case, we know our funds have made a significant difference in helping to restore dignity and hope to people who far too often have so little.