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Feb 7, 2010
Why It's Still A Dry Winter
Lemaan Achai
Over at Lema'an Achai, the phones continue to ring, as local families face the biting poverty of the two-years old recession in Israel.
Families who were poor previously, are in a worse situation that they were, because basic commodity prices and the cost of utilities have gone up (water by 50%!!), while Government benefits and employment opportunities have both gone down.
And the phenomenon of middle-class families calling Lema'an Achai for help, has gone from being an exception, to now become a regular occurrence.
People who used to be generous donors, and whose neighbors and friends consider to be financially well-established, have become unemployed or under-employed, indebted, and without back-up from their families who
have themselves been hit by the international financial downturn. For these struggling families to cut their cost, and seek out supplementary sources of revenue, is in many ways no less traumatic than any other families suffering the effects of poverty.
Lema'an Achai has even established a new concept in community assistance to help these nouveau poor and struggling middle class families - "Community Consultants".
"Community Consultants" is our team of professional Financial Counsellors, Employment/Career Consultants, Get-Your-Rights Experts (including both the intricacies of National Insurance and Employer/Employee regulations) . Our "Smart Chesed" experts have developed innovative methods and solutions, and have gained unparalleled experience in helping local families over the past ten years of Lema'an Achai. All this expertise is now available on a subsidized consultancy basis for ALL MEMBERS OF OUR COMMUNITY. Call 02-9991553, and ask for Motti for details.
Lema'an Achai's services, which are the jewel in the crown of Ramat Bet Shemesh, have no equal or equivalent in any other community in Israel; Lema'an Achai has been accoladed in 2009 by Israel's Minister of Welfare Isaak Herzog and invited to participate in proposing changes in national policy regarding poverty.
Lema'an Achai's highly professional services are critical for the wherewithal of our whole community
And yet, the one phone which is quiet at Lema'an Achai is the donations line.
Lema'an Achai receives no government funding (which we are fighting to change!) and is totally reliant upon balei-batim, regular households, to continue helping local families in poverty.
Of course donors are especially generous at the giving-seasons, such as Purim, Pessach and the Yamim Noraim, and of course we account for these cyclical ups-and-downs in preparing our annual budget - which
strive to give everyone who needs our help reliable 24/6 service, and regular dependable assistance throughout the year.
But the actual donations right now are a shocking 47% lower than projected and budgeted. That means we have shortfall this past month (for example) of over 80,000 NIS ($20,000).
I know you plan to give generously to Lema'an Achai come Purim and Pessach. And, on behalf of the families we help, we are sincerely appreciative of that critical support.
But please, please don't forget that the poor and distressed have constant and desperate needs throughout the year.
You can give now securely on-line athttps://www.lemaanachai.org/donations.aspx
Please consider making your donations monthly, throughout 2010 - either by credit card, or with a direct debit arrangement (we will deal with the banks for you): https://lemaanachai.org/lemaanachai-horat-keva.pdf
Or mail your tax-refundable donations (in Israel, USA, UK and Canada)to Lema'an Achai, 40/7 Nahal Lachish, Ramat Bet Shemesh 99093 or your local Lema'an Achai mailing address.
There is also a 24/6 telephone line for accepting donations - 02-99999.33
Yes - B"H it's raining outside here in Israel.
But the communal pot is going dry.
--Tizku Lemitzvot,
David & R.Avrohom
P.S. Please feel free to pass this message on to your friends, family who may be interested to help Lema'an Achai's incredible "Smart Chesed" programs for combating poverty, and for getting families out of the cycle of poverty.
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Let's get out there and support this amazing organization! They do so much to make RBSA an even better place to live.
ReplyDeleteI want to thank Lema'an Achai for 2 great programs in one week.
ReplyDeleteI attended their financial budgeting course at Bank Hapoalim. it was informative and quite helpful. Later that week we went to the bagriyut seminar with Mrs. Van Dyke. She was amazing.
As relative newcomers it is nice to know that there are people who try to prevent problems as well as solving the ones already out there.
Thanks Lema'an Achai.
Lema'an Achai,
ReplyDeleteDo you know why it's a dry winter for you?
WAKE UP!!!
You're no longer welcome in the "New World Order" RBSA.
Bush, Sr. had his New World Order
Peres had his New Middle East
and there are those in RBSA who have a "New RBSA".
Achdut oriented, open minded organizations like Lema'an Achai that help everyone regardless just aren't part of this plan.
Perhaps Lema'an Achai will have to go the way of the Ma'ar,the cultural school on Sorek and other institutions and seek greener pastures.
Make way for the New Order of RBSA .
If you're not like us you're against us.
Is there any organization that does this on a country wide basis? in the US?
ReplyDeleteKT
Joel Rich
Yeshar koach Rafi for running this posting!
ReplyDeleteJoel - you asked if there is any organization doing this on a country-wide basis, or in the USA?
I am not aware of any other organization in Israel which supplies the range of professional level services that Lema'an Achai does.
There are many excellent specialist organizations at the national level, Paamonim (financial crisis management), Kav LeOved (employee rights), Singur Kehilati (citizens rights), Orot LeTasuka (the "Wisconsin" employment program), The Israel Free Loans Fund (loans gamach), Eli (child protection), etc.. and the 'classic tzedaka' organizations such as Yad Eliezer (food baskets), Kupat Ha'Ir, etc..
At Lema'an Achai all these (and more) services are available for the local community, under one roof.
As for the USA, the OU in New York has used Lema'an Achai (in RBS) as their model of an ideal community chesed organization - for Jewish communities around the USA to learn from and replicate. So I guess that there's very few organization offering Lema'an Achai's services in the USA either...
Poster #3 -- You cant mask your hatred of the kuppa
ReplyDeleteAnon,
ReplyDeleteWhere do you see hatred of the Kupa?
This has nothing to do with the kupa..it has to do with the anti-Lema'an Achai attitude of many in our community.
I'm not anti-kupa at all..I'm just (also) pro-Lema'an Achai
Just like everyone else should be..pro BOTH organizations that do great work in our community.
Kol Hakavod to Lema'an Achai.
ReplyDeleteMay they continue to to such wonderful things for our city!