Around here in New Jersey, today is the last day of school and kids are going off to camp or playgrounds for some summer fun. So, it was with particular interest that I read today’s e-newsletter from the Forgotten People Fund. FPF is a group of dedicated volunteers in Netanya who have committed to helping the very large poor Ethiopian population in that city. Knowing that they not only do good work but do it with an overhead of about 2% or less makes this a sound tzedakah investment for us.

Today’s newsletter announced a special program called SWIMSAFE which offers swimming lessons to children whose parents cannot afford to provide them. The kids receive 8 lessons, learn the safety rules and are considered beginners when they complete the professionally-run course.

The inspiration behind SWIMSAFE was the accidental drowning last summer of Avraham, a local youngster who visited one of Netanya’s beautiful beaches and drowned. FPF volunteers felt that the best way to make sure that never happened again was to start SWIMSAFE and when they recently met Avraham’s father they told him that it was his loss that inspired them to start the program. He thanked them "profusely and said he hoped that no other parent would suffer what he and his family have been through".

So – to celebrate the start of summer fun the Good People Fund is sending a check to cover 10 more kids who can learn to SWIMSAFE!