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The Good People Fund

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Waves of Hope

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In his youth, Eliyahu Ben Zion was drawn to the power of the sea and became an Israeli surfing champion. At 19, he adopted a more religious lifestyle and eventually was encouraged to use his surfing talents for something new.

Throughout Israel’s religious communities there are disaffected youth who have left school and community. With no support system they often fall prey to anti-social behavior. It is for these youth, both young men and women, that Eliyahu created a unique therapeutic program. “It is amazing to see how with just one small push on the surfboard you can see a child succeed,” Eliyahu says. As he puts it, “The obstacles of the sea teach them to cope with the barriers and difficulties in their lives.”

“When I enter the water, I empty all of my thoughts,” says Dovid, one of the program’s graduates.

Our funds are used for a new class for girls.

Birthday Angels

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“The first word that comes to mind when I think of GPF is integrity.”

Being part of the GPF family was like a shield for me, giving me the confidence of knowing I was doing the right thing and was on the right track.

With the help of GPF, I was able to overcome the struggles and challenges that come with running a small operation, and successfully pulled off 60,000 birthday parties for needy children over 10-plus years! This is a truly awe-inspiring accomplishment and a testament to the transformative impact of GPF’s professional and emotional support, presence and partnership.

What an honor it is to always be part of GPF’s special family of good people, all driven by their dreams and powered by their talents and the belief that they can make the world a little better with a little help from their (good people) friends.

 — Ruthie Sobel Luttenberg, Founder, Birthday Angels

Food Forward

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“It felt like kismet.”

The early GPF funding was a vote of confidence that helped us continue to believe in what we were doing, even though there was no real professionalized gleaning organization out there at the time. As we continued our work, more funders became attracted to us and our profile and impact continued to grow and it snowballed from there.

I/we hold a great deal of pride being part of the early GPF cohort. We know the care and evaluation that goes into the selection process of each grantee, and how we are interconnected as a cohort of organizations simply doing good.

Food Forward speaks of our work as “sharing abundance,” but also as a “virtuous circle.” GPF’s ongoing mission of nurturing small but mighty non-profits is a perfect example of both of those vital and important things coming together.

 — Rick Nahmias, Founder/CEO, Courageous Parents Network

Rekindle

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Charmaine Rice, a Black woman trained in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practices, and Matt Fieldman, a White Jewish social entrepreneur and nonprofit professional, created Rekindle to bridge the ever-widening gap growing between two communities that at one time worked side-by-side to effect social justice and equity. Rekindle engages young leaders from both communities in frank and intense conversations and shared social action efforts to build greater understanding and mutual respect. First started in Cleveland, Rekindle has expanded to other communities throughout the country.

Our matching grant which was partially met by donations from participants themselves, is directed to general operations.

STREETSCAPE

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Jen Livovich has a deep personal connection to homelessness. An abusive marriage and alcoholism left her with very little until she found herself homeless on the streets of Boulder, Colorado, a city better known for its affluence and high cost of living.  Homeless shelters and sleeping on the streets became the norm, with countless unsuccessful efforts to break out of this endless cycle. It was only after getting frostbite on her left foot, that a Court Navigator successfully connected Jen to a sober-supported transitional housing program, where she received treatment and enrolled at Colorado State University.

When Jen returned to Boulder, her first initiative was “Save-a-Toe,” supplying warm socks to homeless people. Her new organization, with the help of other formerly homeless individuals, is dedicated to effective solutions to end homelessness in Boulder.

Our funds purchased necessary items like sleeping bags, backpacks and household items for individuals transitioning to housing.

Civic Spirit

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As the political climate in America took a sharp turn in 2016, Rabbi Robert Hirt, Virginia Bayar and Dr. Tamara Tweel brought a group of concerned citizens together to try to address this alarming development. The result – Civic Spirit – an organization dedicated to teaching civic responsibility and precepts in faith-based schools across the country. Civic Spirit is now led by Rabbi Charlie Savenor who has long worked in education and leadership development programs.

Our grant was directed to the expansion of the student leadership program.