Chava* is a disabled elder who resides on her own in Hod HaSharon with a caregiver who helps out for a few hours three times a week. She has three children, but only one is in touch and she has limited resources to help Chava.
Originally from the U.S., Chava speaks very little Hebrew, and because of that is terribly isolated in her community of mostly Hebrew-speaking Israelis. Though the social isolation is certainly a problem, a greater difficulty is that Chava’s refrigerator is beyond repair and she currently uses ice blocks to keep her food chilled. Her caregiver would love to prepare some healthy meals for her but without an oven her inefficient hotplate is almost useless.
We learned of Chava’s story in an email that arrived yesterday morning. The writer was Linda Mosek, a social worker and the founder of CLICK, an Israeli organization that provides social services for elderly residents in the city of Hod HaSharon. We wrote Linda immediately and told her that the Good People Fund would underwrite the purchase of a new stove and refrigerator. Linda’s response was immediate, "You are wonderful and a real life saver. Thanks so much. Chava’s situation is very sad and this is a real mitzvah!"
This morning, only 24 hours later we received several pictures from Linda, including the one you see right here. Clearly, Chava is thrilled with her new appliances and the Good People Fund is excited about being able to step in so quickly to make her life just a bit easier.
* Chava is a pseudonym