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Social Action
COMMUNITY ACTION
Watch for further opportunities for community outreach in Ma Nishma, Hakol, and on either of these websites:
Beth Tikvah: www.bethtikvah.on.ca
Bayview Corridor Group: www.bayviewcorridor.org
VOLUNTEER HOURS AVAILABLE!
Volunteer Hours are available for young adults of high school age! Start your year off with a several hours of worthwhile effort on Social Action projects!
CODE BLUE - SDEROT
Sderot is literally a city under siege. It lies barely one kilometer from the Gaza Strip. Since the beginning of the Second Intifada in October 2000, the city has been bombarded by constant rocket fire from Qassam rockets launched by Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Despite the imperfect aim of these homemade projectiles, they have caused deaths and injuries, as well as significant damage to homes and property, psychological distress and emigration from the city. The latest threat comes in the form of rockets imported to the Gaza from Iran. From the time of an attack warning, there are only six seconds in which to take emergency shelter. The men, women, and children of Sderot need relief and resuscitation from the daily terror of Qassam missile attacks, now! As a community, let’s stand and act together! Help make a difference by donating to the Israel Affairs Committee, the Media Action Group, or the Social Action Committee. Your funds will be sent in their entirety to UJA for relief help in Sderot. As well, some of the Tzedekah funds received through the Ritual Committee and the Festivals Committee during Purim will be directed to Sderot.
CONTACT SOCIAL ACTION
By Telephone: (416) 221-3433 Extension 358
By Email: socialaction@bethtikvah.on.ca
PLIGHT OF THE UKRAINIAN JEWISH COMMUNITY
As economies everywhere struggle with the onslaught of recession, more that ever the former satellite countries of the Soviet Union, where the advent of capitalism brought prosperity to some, others are left impoverished and unable to provide for themselves. This is so true in the Jewish Community in the Ukraine where seniors’ pensions were rendered worthless, and orphaned children were abandoned by the crumbling social welfare system.
Social Action, the Media Action Group, and Youth and Young Families have an opportunity to unite in an effort with Canadian Friends of the Ukrainian Jewish Community (CFUJC) and the UJA Federation to alleviate some of the suffering in the Jewish Ukraine.
Your support will play an important role in this response. You can be involved! More details will be available soon. More information can be found at www.cfujc.org
THE FOSTER CARE CRISIS IN OUR COMMUNITY
A Jewish Child Needs You!
The Jewish community is not immune to poverty, abuse, addiction, and family breakdown. As in any community in our society, these issues can devastate individuals and families. Perhaps no cases, however, tug at the heartstrings more than the children who, for a myriad of reasons, are unable to live with their parents.
As the children`s aid society for the Jewish community, Jewish Family & Child is responsible for the welfare of all of our children. You may wonder why Jewish children come into the care of JF&CS. They may be victims of abuse or neglect; they may have severe physical or developmental challenges; they may be teens for whom staying at home is not an option. They range in age from infancy to 16 years. Many are in care for just a short-term emergency; some require long-term care. Some are able to live with relatives; many have no one to rely on but JF&CS.
The stories of children in care and their foster parents have the power to shock, anger, and sadden. They also have the power to inspire. Many of these young people have overcome extraordinary obstacles, and their foster families have played major roles in their success. But too many of them are at risk of falling through the cracks, of not getting the loving support they need to thrive and become productive, happy adults.
At any given time, about 80 children are in the care of JF&CS, living in private foster homes, group homes or other institutions. While Jewish Family & Child strives to place children in the most appropriate setting, there are often no foster homes that match a child`s level of religious observance or that are close to his or her school or extended family. These children are safe but, quite simply, there are not enough foster homes to meet their individual needs. This community is, in fact, experiencing a foster care crisis.
As a children`s aid, JF&CS has a mandated responsibility for all Jewish children in the GTA under the age of 16 who are in need of care, protection, and a stable home. As a community, we all have a moral responsibility to make sure our children are safe and well cared for.
These are our children: Jewish kids who need loving homes, for a week, a few months, or maybe even many years. These are our children. If you have ever thought about becoming a foster parent, now is the time to act. Foster parents come from a variety of backgrounds, experiences and ages. They may be married or single, parents of children still at home or empty nesters. The common thread is a love of children and the desire to perform the mitzvah of providing a loving home.
Foster parents receive full training and ongoing support from Jewish Family & Child, and a stipend is paid to cover the costs of accommodating foster children.
A Jewish child needs you! Please consider opening your heart and your home to a child in need. For more information, please call Marsha Urowitz, Foster Home Recruiter at Jewish Family & Child, at 416.638.7800 ext 306.
*** Last Updated 2009/03/15 ***
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