What could be better than a warm summer day sailing on the Mediterranean near Tel Aviv?  I know that there were many warm days here when an excursion like that would have been a welcome diversion.  The Good People Fund was excited to help underwrite this week’s outing on the deep blue sea for the teens who take part in Camp Shutaf in Israel. This after-school and camp program for children and teens with and without disabilities was started by Miriam Avraham and Beth Steinberg, mothers of two children who had few such options available to them several years ago. Shutaf has expanded well beyond its early days and we remain excited about being on board for them.  Ahoy!

It’s been a very busy media week for The Good People Fund. Our Fox5 interview, broadcast on Good Day Street Talk throughout the tri-state area this past week follows (segment starts at 40 seconds).  Immediately following is a link to an interview we did for HIPNJ, an online magazine (scroll to the middle of the page). Enjoy!

If you look very carefully at the signs these smiling women are holding you can read their proud statements:  “My anemia is gone”, “My diabetes is controlled”, “My family and I are healthier”.

In fact, the entire group has recently graduated from (L.A.-based) Groceryships’ six-month program which provides a comprehensive nutrition education course and weekly support groups as well as access to healthy food at a reduced cost. Families are empowered to lead a healthier lifestyle as they learn about nutrition, healthy cooking and effective shopping skills. They also become part of a network that discusses issues of emotional eating and food addiction in a safe, sacred space, where every person is respected and honored.

Groceryships is the brainchild of Sam Polk, a former financial executive who struggled with his own weight issues. The Good People Fund has supported Sam’s ground-breaking work for the past few years and our latest grant actually underwrote the cost of a class of graduates who are now on the path to a healthier lifestyle.

As stewards of our donors’ generosity The Good People Fund always tries to get the most “bang for the buck” as we invest their tzedakah in our programs.

Jacob Sztokman is the founder of Gabriel Project Mumbai which works to foster health, nutrition, literacy and empowerment among  families living in Mumbai’s slums. In today’s email Jacob shared some good news about our latest grant which provides a special combination of food and nutrients for the more than 300 babies recently diagnosed with severe and acute malnutrition. The Hyderabad mix was developed by India’s National Institute of Nutrition and is used widely in that country to counter the effects of poor nutrition.

What makes our grant that much more meaningful is that the women pictured here learning how to prepare the mix are the same group of local women who we helped in 2013 to establish a small kitchen where they run a micro-business preparing food for students at a nearby school.

Who wouldn’t feel good knowing that seriously malnourished babies have a chance to grow and flourish and that women who previously had no hope of lifting their families from desperate poverty are now earning enough money to change their lives.

How many of us struggle to lose that extra five or ten pounds? It’s the eternal quest. For Dana Marlowe, founder of For the Girls, it was her own weight loss last summer that opened her eyes to the plight of homeless women for whom a supply of bras as well as personal hygiene products are a luxury they can ill afford. With a drawer filled with bras that no longer fit, it was the saleswoman where she was shopping who shared this little known fact. With her typical “let’s fix it” approach, Dana put out a call to friends and family via social media asking for people to send her those items they no longer used in addition to personal hygiene products. The rest, as they say, is history. As that first appeal went viral  Dana was quickly  inundated with boxes and boxes of goods. Clearly she had struck a chord with women across the country and even in foreign countries.

When we met Dana several weeks ago we knew immediately why this dynamo had such success. Her passion, her intelligence and her can-do attitude made it possible for her to build the foundation for a national organization that is harnessing the energy of so many others who believe this is a need that should be resolved. With The Good People Fund’s matching grant, as well as ongoing mentoring, in one year For the Girls has not only collected more than 20,000 bras and 50,000 personal hygiene products but has also established local branches in 9 cities across this country, in addition to Canada, Australia and Pakistan. For the Girls’ official launch is taking place today July 21, and from what we have seen Dana’s actions have clearly inspired so many people. Imagine how many homeless women will now gain dignity and comfort because of Dana’s actions.

We’re excited to announce that Charity Navigator, the country’s foremost independent watchdog that evaluates nonprofits has recently awarded us their highest rating,  Four Stars. Since our inception eight years ago our board has made a conscious decision to operate with full transparency, fiscal prudence including responsible overhead and ethical practices. It is nice to be recognized in this way and we are grateful to all of you, our donors, who help make our work possible.