Jamal Alkirnawi, a member of Israel’s Bedouin community, has devoted his life to helping improve the lives of the nearly 150,000 Bedouins who populate the country’s Negev (and beyond). This Arab-Jewish community-based organization focuses on peace, developing leadership, promoting education and economic success for all residents of the region.
Sport – Bridge to Education
Engaging in sports teaches kids so many life lessons. They learn about rules, discipline, boundaries, cooperation and more. Dr. Rutie Pilz-Burstein has dedicated a good part of her life to sports and research on its impact. Using those years of experience and study led her to begin Sport-Bridge to Education which operates in many youth villages and utilizes different sports activities to reach vulnerable youth who have lost their way.
Inheritance Theater Project
There are many ways to help bring people together, to share their stories, to learn from their differences and to create communities of harmony. In cities around the country (and beyond), Inheritance Theater Project creates plays based on the community’s history, its residents and its inherited wisdom, in an effort to bridge divides and create a cohesive society. Co-founded by Jon Adam Ross, Inheritance Theater Project utilizes playmaking/theater to join together intersectional, inter-generational, and interfaith communities–things sorely needed in our divided world.
Women Palante
The Spanish idiom “palante” can be translated as “go for it!”, an appropriate name for Yurani Sandoval’s organization, Women Palante which mentors and inspires Latina women as they pursue entrepreneurial ventures. The program includes not only critical financial expertise but also focuses on personal wellness, an often-ignored, but important tool leading to success.
Our matching grant is directed to administrative costs.
Bagel Rescue
Atlanta’s Erin Steiglitz began Bagel Rescue only a few years ago, but in that short time she and her dedicated crew of more than 100 volunteers have managed to rescue about 15,000 bagels weekly. With more than 36 bagel shops donating, dozens of social service agencies benefit from the daily drop-offs while at the same time, ending waste and supporting hunger relief.
Konnection
Sharnese Harris grew up in a loving and supportive household where attending school each day, getting good grades and helping others was instilled in her DNA from the beginning. And yet, in Detroit she witnessed a very different dynamic where chronic absenteeism and the problems that come with it were all too obvious. Kids from broken homes, unstable living conditions and economic challenges just didn’t go to school. In fact, Detroit leads the country in chronic absenteeism.
In 2019 Sharnese founded The Konnection to help youth from underserved communities feel supported and seen. The program focuses on connections and relationships, keeping kids engaged and excited about school. A school-based clothes closet, field trips, personal mentoring along with education, unlock students’ potential and provides opportunities that ensure success in school and life.
