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No matter where they may live, studying for school does not always come easily for many kids. For students living at the St. Mary Kevin Orphanage in Uganda, studying is doubly hard because so many of them, orphaned through the HIV/AIDS epidemic or civil war, have no parents to guide them nor books of their own. For most of them, sharing textbooks is the norm.

When we recently spoke with Gloria Baker Feinstein, founder of Change The Truth, a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of the 190 children who now call St. Mary Kevin Orphanage Motherhood home, she was about to make her (annual) visit to the school. How could we help? Gloria told us about the shared textbooks and that she hoped to be able to gather the funds needed to purchase a sufficient number of books so that all students would have their own and be able to study independently whenever they wanted.

With the Good People Fund’s donation of a little more than $2000, Change the Truth has established a library of academic textbooks for the primary school-aged children. Now, whenever a child needs a textbook they need only go to the library, check out the book, and study hard.

Gloria tells us that the books should last for four years…a great return on our tzedakah investment!

What kid doesn’t like to start the day with a good breakfast including a bowl of cereal? Unfortunately, for many kids in this country this seemingly simple part of a day’s nutrition is beyond reach and that is where our friends at the L.A.-based Bagel Brigade step in to help.

We wrote about the Bagel Brigade and their founder, Herman Berman, last month when Herman died at the age of 90. Bagel Brigade volunteers (mostly retirees and students) gather each day to collect leftover baked goods from retail establishments and deliver them to local schools, pantries and shelters where they will nourish hungry people. They also provide boxes of cereal to schools that offer breakfast to students who arrive hungry each morning.

When we learned that a large box of cereal cost them $1.25 to purchase in quantity we decided that we would like to help. So, with our donation of $4320 there will be an awesome number of cereal boxes arriving at local schools in the San Fernando Valley.

Now for the hard part – should we suggest Corn Flakes or Wheaties? (we know the kids would prefer Fruity Pebbles but…)

Dear Broad Meadows Operation Days Work Members,

Naomi

Since first meeting their inspiration, Iqbal Masih, a young Pakistani child activist in 1994, generations of middle school students at the Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, MA. have been involved in converting their idealism-into-action through annual student voted, student funded partnerships with established organizations devoted to ending child slavery, poverty and the exploitation of kids. Though they work under the gentle guidance of a dedicated teacher, Ron Adams, it is the kids themselves that do the work and make the decisions. This year, their efforts will focus on children in Nepal where the literacy rate is one of the lowest in the world, only 35% for girls.

So – with the Good People Fund’s investment of a few hundred dollars, the Quincy kids will have a webcam, poster board, crayons, markers, pens, notebooks and even some pretzels and other treats for their after-school meetings…all tools they will use to change the world.

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

Jaroslawa Lewicka was but a child growing up in Zloczow (Ukraine) in 1941. As the war raged nearby, many of her Jewish neighbors had their homes confiscated and were not allowed to move about, even just to buy some food. Jaroslawa’s grandfather could not remain silent during this time and with the help of his daughter and granddaughter, not only delivered food and medicine to a large group who were hidden some distance away, but also managed to hide two young girls until the area was liberated in 1944. It was often Jaroslawa herself, only 8 or 9 years of age, who managed to slip past the Ukrainian guards with food hidden in her school backpack.

Today, Jaroslawa lives in Israel and has been recognized by Yad Vashem as a Righteous Gentile. At age 75 she is relatively healthy, lives independently and is regularly visited by our friends at ATZUM, a great organization begun by Rabbi Levi Lauer which focuses on several specific at-risk populations in Israel, including Righteous Gentiles. When Yael Rosen, director of ATZUM’s Righteous Gentiles project, wrote early this morning asking if the Good People Fund could possibly underwrite the cost of some extra help for Jaroslawa the answer was never in question. Saying no is not an option when it comes to helping someone who, at a very young age, risked her life so that others would live.

It is an honor.

POSTSCRIPT
We received this a few days after our posting:
Dear Naomi,

Have a good week,
Yulia

John S.* was the victim of identity theft – a nightmare for anyone, but for John, even more daunting because John is deaf. When his stolen credit cards resulted in nearly $7500 in consumer debt, the card company hired a law firm to collect. The firm had an incorrect address for John and he never received the notice of complaint – making an already difficult situation that much worse. With no response from John, the law firm filed a judgment against him and soon after, his modest wages were garnished. Now John could not pay his rent and with missed rent payments came an eviction notice. John was about to become homeless.

For any of us this scenario would be extraordinarily difficult. For a deaf person, navigating the legal system can be an impossible effort. With the help of Bruce Gitlin and the New York Center for Law and Justice (www.lawjusticecenter.org) that he founded last year, John was able to successfully appeal the improperly served summons and complaint, have his wages restored and the threat of eviction eliminated.

Though a seasoned attorney, Bruce never really forgot his earliest years in practice when he met a deaf woman who was an activist on behalf of the deaf community. She herself was not an attorney but she began a clearinghouse for legal service matters involving the deaf community with the help of others who agreed to serve on a pro bono basis. It was then that Bruce "immediately appreciated the profound need for the representation of the indigent, deaf." As years passed and his regular legal practice continued Bruce’s interest in serving those who lived in poverty, particularly those with a disability never waned. As he began to study for the rabbinate it seemed even more appropriate that he bring all of his professional skills together in an organization that could help those in the New York indigent, deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

We’ve met Bruce a few times and were impressed with his gentle nature, his passion for social justice and his willingness to take on this work. The Good People Fund is committed to underwriting both the cost of ASL (American Sign Language) interpreters who accompany indigent, deaf clients to their attorneys, as well as to the clients’ transportation costs, when necessary.

What a great model for other communities where the indigent, deaf population is underserved and forgotten.

*"John" is a pseudonym.