The Interfaith Food Pantry (IFPO) (www.orangesfoodpantry.org) provides supplemental and emergency food to low-income residents in Orange and East Orange. They are the recent recipient of a challenge grant from the Millburn-based organization, The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org), which offers financial support and mentorship to small, effective initiatives dedicated to repairing the world. IFPO received an opening grant of $5,000 as part of a challenge grant.

What sets IFPO apart from the many other nonprofits is that it is a collaboration of interfaith groups working together and looking to solve problems of hunger and poverty from within their own communities. IFPO is a joint effort of four religious institutions in Short Hills and South Orange, New Jersey—Christ Church, Congregation Beth El, Congregation B’nai Jeshurun, and Temple Sharey Tefilo-Israel. IFPO operates out of the Church of the Epiphany located at 105 Main Street in Orange, New Jersey.

“The IFPO is a great example of not only interfaith cooperation but also neighboring communities stepping up to offer help where it is needed. We often wonder how many local problems could be eradicated if this model were used more widely,” says Naomi Eisenberger, Executive Director of the Good People Fund. “For most of us who lead comfortable lives the inability to purchase and have available toiletries and personal hygiene products is not an issue. For people who must decide between food or medicine rather than toothpaste or deodorant the ability of IFPO to now be able to distribute such products to their clients is quite significant.”

IFPO is totally volunteer driven and today serves close to 17,300 individuals, of whom nearly 40 percent are children. Clients include single men and women, veterans, senior citizens, families with young children, new immigrants, single parents, people with disabilities and individuals who are employed but do not make sufficient income to meet their basic food needs. Even if a person does not have a referral letter or other proof of need, the IFPO team does their best to make sure no one goes hungry.

IFPO’s board and advisory board members are active volunteers in the organization, arranging volunteer schedules, stocking the pantry, coordinating deliveries and anything else needed to insure that the operation runs smoothly. “The IFPO has been helping families for nearly 20 years with food assistance in a dignified and respectful way,” explains Jodi Cooperman. Jodi is a member of Congregation B’nai Jeshurun and treasurer of IFPO. “We are very happy to be connected with the Good People Fund and the network of grantees they have built. Just last month we took part in their program that sorted and distributed thousands of new housewares, clothing and food items to twelve service agencies in this area by way of another GPF grantee, the Redistribution Center of Colorado. As a result, we were able to provide items to families recently displaced by fires in this area.”

IFPO exemplifies how an organization can use its creative vision to help meet basic human needs, while operating with very low overhead and generating inspiring results. IFPO is supported by food donations, food drives, and monetary donations from member congregations, businesses and private individuals as well as local schools, clubs, teams and other organizations. Its goal is to reduce hunger in Orange and East Orange and to fight hunger in New Jersey.

This ‘good people’-led nonprofit joins seventy other nonprofits financially supported and professionally guided by The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org).

For further information contact news@goodpeoplefund.org.

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their nonprofits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008.

Further information can be found at www.goodpeoplefund.org.

The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org), a non-profit, Tzedakah initiative deeply rooted in the work of Tikkun Olam in the US and Israel, has announced a new fellowship program in partnership with the national education consortium NewCAJE, in which participants spend a year focused on merging Jewish education strategies with service-learning and social action tactics. The Good People Fund NewCAJE 2015 Fellowship Program includes three $700 scholarships. Jewish educators, full or part-time, in the field of Jewish education for 5-8 years are eligible to apply through May 26, 2015 at https://goodpeoplefund.wufoo.com/forms/good-people-fund-fellowship-at-newcaje/

“Through a targeted year-long program, this new fellowship opportunity was created to enhance and support the work of Jewish educators who are focused on service-learning, tzedakah or social action content in their settings,” explains Robyn Faintich, The Good People Fund’s Education Consultant.  “We are looking forward to combining the launch of the fellowship with the annual NewCAJE conference which emphasizes the sharing of information, learning new Jewish education techniques, and sharing problem solutions.”

The fellowship begins with a series of sessions led by Faintich and Rabbi Steven Bayar.  The sessions will focus on the building blocks of service-learning and goals and strategies of volunteerism and social action. Additional sessions focus on the Good People Fund Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons-  modular curriculum guides, which provide educators with an all-encompassing lesson which includes everything from set induction activities to text study to hands-on application.  The Grab ‘n’ Go Lessons are each centered around a Good People Fund grantee and the passionate work they do to improve the world.  The lessons are designed so educators can easily adapt them for a variety of learning settings. Fellows will utilize these and other Good People Fund education tools through the year. Following the conference, the fellowship will continue through a series of web-based meetings.

Full details of the fellowship program can be found at https://goodpeoplefund.wufoo.com/forms/good-people-fund-fellowship-at-newcaje/

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the concept of Tikkun Olam repairing the world, responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008. For more information on The Good People Fund or how you can support its grantees and their efforts, visit https://www.goodpeoplefund.org.

NewCAJE is a pluralistic organization that brings together all settings of Jewish education; welcomes anyone involved in the transmission of  Jewish culture, custom and belief; includes people in all job descriptions in the field including both professional and lay leaders; advocates for Jewish education and for Jewish teachers; and is a forum where new ideas are explored, new talent welcomed, and a multitude of ideas and resources shared. More information on NewCAJE can be found at http://www.newcaje.org

Contact: Rachel Litcofsky 
508-314-4304 | Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org

The Good People Fund, www.goodpeoplefund.org, is a US-based organization that provides financial support and professional guidance to innovative grassroots non-profits.  This month The Herb Alpert Foundation has granted them a further $150,000, bringing their total commitment to $800,000 over the last six years.  The partnership is based on strategic grant making and philanthropy, supporting programs that find inventive ways to focus on issues related to well-being in the United States.

“Through the work of the Good People Fund,” explained Rona Sebastian, President of The Herb Alpert Foundation, “we can help these grass-roots programs get a foothold and receive the funds and support they desperately need to impact change.”  The Foundation, www.herbalpertfoundation.org, is the vision of legendary musician, sculptor, painter, and philanthropist Herb Alpert and his wife, Grammy Award winner Lani Hall.

“We are grateful for the continued support that the Herb Alpert Foundation has committed over the years,” explains Naomi Eisenberger, The Good People Fund’s Founding Executive Director.  “The partnership has given us the ability to discover and nurture many unique below-the-radar initiatives that routinely find exciting ways to ease the burden of hunger, homelessness, poverty, elder care disability and more, and in so doing impact vast numbers of people.  This partnership is strengthened by a shared core philosophy of elevating the work of highly effective organizations that strive to change the world in positive ways.”

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the concept of repairing the world, responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, offering financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts in the United States and Israel.  The Good People Fund believes that small actions can have huge impacts through personal connections.  Since its 2008 inception, the organization has raised more than $6 million dollars.

For more information on The Good People Fund or how you can support its grantees and their efforts, visit www.goodpeoplefund.org

Contact: Rachel Litcofsky 508-314-4304, Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org

As the result of a national online search to identify visionaries changing the world around them, the Good People Fund  (GPF) has welcomed Helene Bortz and the San Diego based non-profit, The Jewish Gift Closet-San Diego Community G’mach as the latest grantee of the national Tzedakah micro-philanthropic fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org). GPF seeks unique and highly effective programs led by good people, and invests in their exciting tikkun olam (repairing the world) work.

The G’mach was one of over 170 entities to apply to receive funding, professional development and guidance from The Good People Fund. The 12-week process included an intense crowdfunding campaign run on the Jewish crowdfunding platform Jewcer.  The G’mach and five other non-profits were among the finalists that collectively raised through crowdfunding over $19,000 and then received matching grants totaling $21,000 from The Good People Fund.  Together, the crowdfunding and matching grants generated over $40,000.  Since the completion of the campaign, the G’mach has joined the 69 other on-going GPF grantees in the US and Israel.

The G’mach, an acronym for Gemilut Chasadim or deeds of loving kindness, is San Diego’s only gift closet. The G’mach is a place where people donate items they have no use for. Items donated to the G’mach are given for free to recipients in need from a warehouse located off of Miramar Road. The G’mach is unique since it also attempts to find solutions for those in need, including; professional adult mentoring & advocacy; rent subsidies; emergency cash needs; shabbat and holiday meals, internships, youth group workshops and family life cycle needs.

The G’mach was founded by Bortz during the economic downturn in June 2009 when she became increasingly aware that many Jewish families were experiencing financial difficulties.  Along with Myrice Goldberg, the two opened their first location in a building lent by a friend. Shortly after, donations of clothing, household appliances and baby equipment began to arrive which necessitated the rental of a local warehouse where they ultimately set up a no-cost shopping experience for those needing goods.  As they spoke with clients, they soon became aware of the need for emergency services such as rent and job mentorship. Those services have also been added to what the G’mach provides.

They learned that many of those they were helping were isolated and disenfranchised and would benefit from connections with caring individuals and communities.  “We decrease their social isolation and elevate their human dignity by connecting each family/individual client to a caring person in the community or opportunity to be part of a synagogue community especially over the Jewish holidays,” explains Bortz.  “Needs are assessed on an individual basis and many clients are not only impoverished but have special needs or may have mental illness. We treat each client with dignity and caring as we would want a family member to be treated.”

Naomi Eisenberger, founding Executive Director of The Good People Fund explains “Helene and Myrice recognized that there was a significant vacuum for these families and individuals and their needs were going unmet.”

So how did the G’mach go from crowdfunding finalist to GPF grantee?  Naomi offers the following: “In addition to raising funds during the crowdfunding campaign, they became a grantee because the G’mach actually lives the mission of the Good People Fund. They are passionate individuals who spend their time improving the lives of those who need help; visionaries who see creative solutions where others see problems or turn a blind eye. Like so many of our grantees, they want to make an even greater impact but just don’t have the resources of a development staff or significant budget and that is where we step in.”

In addition to supporting their current programs, the G’mach plans to apply the new funds to reach more single women with small children, and others who have recently become unemployed. They plan to distribute supplemental rent in emergency situations, while they help create a more stable long-term plan with vocational mentoring and networking for jobs.

Now housed in a permanent warehouse, the G’mach serves hundreds of needy families and individuals throughout the San Diego community with additional programs and services. Further information or ways to support the G’mach can be found at www.goodpeoplefund.org.

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the concept of repairing the world, responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008. Learn more at www.goodpeoplefund.org.

This past month, Naomi Eisenberger, Founding Executive Director of the national tzedakah initiative, The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org) traveled to Atlanta to experience how two new grantees in Atlanta demonstrate their Tikkun Olam spirit everyday.

During the 72-hour trip, Eisenberger helped volunteers from Second Helpings Atlanta (SHA) unload and deliver 1000 pounds of fresh produce, prepared foods and meats for the food pantry at Malachi’s Storeroom housed in St. Patrick’s Catholic Church. She then joined 450 volunteers to distribute toys and holiday cheer to a room of 750 eager kids with Amy’s Holiday Party, a signature event of Creating Connected Communities (CCC). Lastly, she fit in some professional development with the new GPF Education Outreach Consultant, Atlanta resident Robyn Faintich, founder of JewishGPS LLC.

Founded ten years ago by octogenarian Guenther Hecht as a social action project for Temple Sinai in suburban Atlanta, SHA is today an independent non-profit organization that utilizes more than 300 volunteers to pick up food largely from local supermarkets and some restaurants, 364 days a year (closed for Christmas).

“To know that Second Helpings Atlanta repeats this entire scenario several times each and every day is astounding”, says Eisenberger. “Even more amazing is the fact that they operate with one part-time employee and a minimal budget.  We couldn’t help but wonder why this model couldn’t be developed in so many more places, eradicating or reducing the seemingly impossible problem of hunger once and for all.”

Amy’s Holiday Party is a signature event of CCC. At the age of 12, Amy Sacks (now Amy Sacks Zeide) was stunned to learn of the theft of holiday toys at a local shelter. She immediately donated some funds to help replace those toys and the next year, as a Bat Mitzvah project, organized Amy’s Holiday Party which gathers kids from local social service agencies and offers them a fun day ending with the gifting of toys and games. This year’s party was Amy’s 20th and The Good People Fund was present and experienced what can only be called an extravaganza. What makes this event even more meaningful is that teens who volunteer are responsible for much of what takes place. Amy’s organization, Creating Connected Communities, provides leadership training to local teens with a curriculum that focuses on homelessness and advocacy. The holiday party is part of the program.  “We knew Amy’s story from many years ago and were not surprised to finally meet a gracious young woman who hasn’t forgotten how small actions can have a significant impact”, says Eisenberger.

As grantees both groups not only receive funding, a combined total of nearly $10,000 in 2014, but mentorship and professional guidance to help them successfully grow and reach their full potential.

While Eisenberger’s trip was busy with events, she was also there to meet and strategize with Atlanta resident Robyn Faintich, who now serves as the Education & Outreach Consultant to the Good People Fund. Faintich brings over 17 years of Jewish communal professional experience in areas that include youth movements, day schools, community teen initiatives, early childhood education, congregational family education, and adult education.  In August 2010, Robyn launched JewishGPS LLC in an effort to help guide Jewish organizations in a variety of aspects of Jewish education.  Robyn is responsible for the Good People Fund’s new education initiative, Grab ‘n’ Go lessons, created to compliment the existing and available and downloadable curriculum.

“Grab ’n’ Go are tzedakah-based lesson plans that encapsulate a profile of a Good Person, an existing grantee, include interactive discussion guides, a corresponding text study, specialized learning activities and suggestions for hands-on social action engagement, explains Faintich.  What sets them apart from other modular or instant lessons is that they profile a person or organization doing this good work, today.” The curriculum and Grab ‘n’ Go lessons can be downloaded for free at https://www.goodpeoplefund.org/jewish-learning-about-tzedakah/gpf-grab-n-go-lessons/

Faintich has also been instrumental in the increase of GPF’s social media presence.

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the concept of repairing the world, responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008. Further information about Second Helpings Atlanta, Creating Connected Communities, other grantees and all of the education programming, can be found at www.goodpeoplefund.org.

Amir, an organization that inspires young adults to pursue social justice through gardening, along with two other Bay Area non-profits, Sunday Friends and Village Harvest, are amongst recipients of grants awarded by The Good People Fund in 2014. The Fund discovers and supports small, effective tzedakah initiatives in the United States and Israel dedicated to tikkun olam (repairing the world) that might otherwise fall below the radar screen of larger funders. In 2014, these 3 programs collectively received grants of more than $28,000 to facilitate their creative efforts to relieve hunger and poverty.

Amir (www.amirproject.org) was founded by a Jewish visionary and Bay Area resident, David Fox. David and several camp friends started the organization in 2010 as a way to bring together their passion for the environment and social justice with experiential gardening. Today a nationwide program operating at twenty-three camp sites, Amir is based upon the tenets of commonality, cooperation, and sharing resources. Upon completing an intense training program, college students become Amir Farmer Fellows committed to managing gardens at summer camps, both Jewish and secular, and teach campers how to become stewards of the Earth, while imparting a commitment to social justice. Amir harnesses garden education to demonstrate the power of sharing resources, to teach about issues related to hunger and poverty, and to enlighten youth on the moral imperative to help those in need. As a result of the summer’s efforts, healthy produce grown by Amir farmers and campers is donated to local food pantries. The Good People Fund grant of $12,000 was directed towards the cost of a Farm Apprentice to oversee and train the Farmer Fellows.

The Good People Fund prides itself on identifying good people, doing great work to help others. While some of the Good People Fund grantees are not traditional Jewish organizations, they all are guided by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world). Nearby grantees that share in this philosophy are Village Harvest and Sunday Friends.

Craig Diserens was part of a team who founded Village Harvest to service the greater San Francisco area(www.villageharvest.org), and uses volunteers to glean the abundance of fruit (nearly 500,000 pounds last year alone) from private property and re-developed orchards and deliver it to local hunger programs. What differentiates Village Harvest’s efforts is their belief that the volunteers’ actions actually strengthen the community around them. Their grant of nearly $5,000 was directed to their Orchards Harvesting Program which gathers volunteers to pick historic or noncommercial orchards (some planted during the Gold Rush 150 years ago) and preserve and restore old orchards for future generations.

San Jose-based Sunday Friends (www.sundayfriends.org) was born from founder Janis Baron’s desire to sensitize her own children to diversity and volunteerism. Today, more than 1,200 volunteers provide a full day of learning and earning opportunities to hundreds of low-income immigrant families in San Jose. Children and their parents spend their Sundays at three school sites collaborating with volunteers in a variety of giving-back activities. Parents attend classes that concentrate on English language, effective parenting, money management and other life skills training to instill positive benefits for everyone. Children partner with volunteers to learn about nutrition, art and other enrichment activities. Through this active participation families earn tickets which can be redeemed for necessities in the onsite store, the Treasure Chest. Together, with help from the Good People Fund, Sunday Friends added a Rent Relief program through which participants may earn up to $200 credit towards their rent thus freeing up funds for other necessities. Part of their recent grant of $11,735 enabled 45 families to earn these credits.

“People like David, Craig and Janis prove our belief that it is most often good people, responding to a need in our world, who can effect change and inspire all of us to do the same,” explains Naomi Eisenberger, Executive Director of the Good People Fund. Eisenberger will visit from New Jersey with all three founders in November. “Our focus is on these good people and their often unnoticed efforts. With the help of our donors our wish is to nurture and grow these programs to a point where they can succeed and gain wider recognition.”

All of these organizations find creative and innovative ways to fund their initiatives and provide for their communities while operating with very low overhead and generating the most inspiring results. These three non-profits join 65 others financially supported and professionally guided by The Good People Fund (www.goodpeoplefund.org). They were collectively awarded nearly $29,000 in grants over the past year.

For further information, photos or to speak with Naomi, David, Craig or Janis please contact Rachel Litcofsky at 508-314-4304 or Rachel@goodpeoplefund.org

Founded in 2008, The Good People Fund, inspired by the Jewish concept of tikkun olam (repairing the world), responds to significant problems such as poverty, disability, trauma and social isolation, primarily in the United States and Israel. We provide financial support and management guidance for small to medium grassroots efforts. Our grant recipients are leading their non-profits with annual budgets under $500,000 and no professional development staff but are driven and determined to make a difference in their communities. With its guiding philosophy that small actions can have huge impacts and its emphasis on the personal connection, the GPF has raised and granted more than $6 million dollars since its inception in 2008. Further information can be found at www.goodpeoplefund.org