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The Good People Fund

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Kids

Kaima Nahalal

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Merav Carmi is a sixth-generation farmer whose family has worked the land in Israel’s north since long before the establishment of the State. Her background in environmental studies, biodynamic agriculture and community building made the founding of this latest Kaima farm a natural evolution.

Kaima Nahalal is the only farm in the Kaima model focused only on helping young girls who have not succeeded in more traditional educational settings. An overwhelming number of them have experienced sexual trauma, as well. The girls run all aspects of the farm and in so doing develop new skills as well as a sense of responsibility, a connection to nature, a sense of initiative, and a foundation for future economic security. Our funds cover the cost a new vehicle for farm operations, and cover the cost of residential
program staff.

Magen

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Of the more than 150,000 Ethiopians currently residing in Israel, more than 50% live below the poverty line.  Included in these numbers are thousands of teens who arrived as babies or young children and hold no memories of their place of birth.

Dr. Stu Chesner, a clinical psychologist who has had far-reaching impact on the treatment of at-risk children in Israel, worked in the “system” for many years and became familiar with the struggles of these at-risk teens. He founded Magen to guide these teens as they mature and become productive adults by providing a holistic approach to academic, emotional and social intelligence.  Included in this approach are activities to help them understand their heritage and culture.

Our funds are used for administrative expenses.

Kaima Hukuk

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When you visit Kaima Hukuk on the shores of the Kinneret you quickly understand the isolation of this part of the country. That isolation means scarce resources for young people who have struggled to fit into more traditional classrooms. It was for this population that Efrat Noy, along with several educators and social workers, created Kaima Hukuk. Their alternative classroom attracts kids between the ages of 14- 21.

Many teens who cannot be recruited to the IDF come from similar backgrounds as the young Kaima farmers. Working with a program that facilitates national service activities, Hukuk’s empowering environment lets them fulfill this requirement as they flourish and set an example for younger participants. Our funds are directed to the construction of a packing house where young farmers assemble the CSA packages.

Just Imagine

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Abby Sondak traces so much of her personal growth back to summers she spent at overnight camp: intrepidness, confidence, independence, and appreciation of a wider world. “I wouldn’t have traded those years for anything. I’m passionate about giving others that experience,” she says.

As an educator working with inner-city youth in DC, she’s well positioned to give it to those who arguably need it the most. Just Imagine, the organization she founded, provides summer camp scholarships to underprivileged children and teens, exposing them to dramatically new environments, challenges and trajectories.

But Just Imagine goes even further, treating camp as more than a one-off experience. Instead, it’s the start of a long-term relationship that includes life-skills and college-prep workshops, and even campus tours … all creating paths for successful journeys through life, for those starting from the back.

Our funds underwrite scholarships for summer camp, and some administrative expenses.

 

 

Connections Mentor

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“He was the only adult who really knew me anymore and the only one who wasn’t paid to care about me,” says Tommy, a teenager in the child welfare / juvenile court system. “He helped me open my first bank account … taught me how to go grocery shopping and helped me learn about health insurance and other adult stuff.” When Paul Muratore founded Connections, Tommy’s words were exactly what he’d dreamed of.

Paul, a longtime mentor to at-risk teens, retired in 2016 and followed his dream to start a program for kids just like Tommy: kids who’ve aged out of the foster care or welfare system and are in need of guidance and friendship. Since then, more than 130 youths have established deep relationships of a year or more with their mentors, even throughout the pandemic. Together, they’ve proven that when someone cares, anything is possible.

Our funds underwrite administrative expenses.

Caravan to Class

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Nine young women in Mali, a country perhaps better known for its military takeovers, are now on the road to new lives filled with untold possibilities. Recipients of Caravan to Class’s Bourse Jackie scholarships, each woman completes an intensive English course as well as attends university, with some graduating this year and already promised jobs.

Barry Hoffner began Caravan to Class after attending Mali’s famous desert music festival. Upon learning about the dearth of educational opportunities available to Mali children, Barry began to build schools in local villages. As Barry noted, “Imagine a world … where no matter where a child lives, the fundamental right of education is assured.” To ensure that those children break the cycle of illiteracy that had plagued their ancestors for years, Caravan to Class has constructed 15 schools with a 16th planned for late 2021.

Our funds are used to underwrite university scholarships.