Please scroll all the way through to read the many ways Action-PSJ is making an impact with your support.
Check out this Jewish Journal artiicle about how one volunteer is mobilizing her community to help Action-PSJ make a difference. And how YOU can help!
The foundation of Action-PSJ's successful history as a grassroots organization – the ability to galvanize collective action from the local level to effect change - is driving our wartime mobilization efforts.
With your support, we provide much-needed assistance and acts of humanity to sustain and provide hope. Keep reading to see how your generosity is helping. AND ways you can CONTINUE to HELP.
As we are now in the second month of this war, Action-PSJ is meeting needs in these ways.
Directly providing support to our 12 communities: This includes our 12 volunteer care coordinators and their families and the 250 elderly and their families. Through your generosity, we have sent direct financial support to each person.Keep reading below to see how this support is especially helping those evacuated from Mariupol.
Through partner organizations: Action-PSJ supports the Jewish Community in Dnipro and all the partner organizations in the Boston-Dnipor Partnership. AND we also partner with several other organizations doing work directly in Ukraine--and this list is growing.
By galvanizing individuals and community organizations: There are so many projects happening here --throughout Boston and North America to support our people in Ukraine. Over 300 people have donated. Through CJP's Jewish Teen Initiative --Teen leaders have organized hundreds of teens to make thousands of dry soup bags and wound care kits, AND other teens groups are replicating this. Additionally, day schools, public schools, Temples, and more are coming together to make grab-and-go activity kits for children. A cohort of Russian-speaking alumni, parents, and grandparents from the Rashi school are trained and have started making check-in phone calls to our elderly in Ukraine. Other volunteers have organized community drives for urgently needed items like this one for adult incontinence protection.
100's of people directly making an impact in Ukraine through Action-PSJ.
And be on the lookout as early as next week to sign up for shifts in Action-PSJ's storage space to help sort through, pack and get ready to ship all these items!
There is no playbook on how to provide service or support during this war. As we identify needs, we connect --person to person and program to program and try to find who has the needed resources and ability to deliver.
Over the next week, we will share some of these stories and how working together, we can help.
Today I am going to share one story. Alisa, our volunteer coordinator from Mariopul, was able to evacuate through a car caravan a few weeks ago. Since that time, she has worked tirelessly to reach the 60+ elderly in our Adopt-a-Bubbe/Zayde program. Miraculously she has connected with most of them and works with other agencies to help them evacuate.
She shares they have lost everything. Most leave with just a bag of their important papers. It is difficult not to want to jump in to help.
When asked what is needed, Alisa explained, "at first, they are in shock, they can barely speak, and then slowly will start to ask for minimal, very urgent emergency needs-- a new bag--because the one they fled with is falling apart. A new pair of shoes. Color copies of their documents. Later, when everyone is more settled, we can help more." (And we will be ready to do more!)
Below-- pictures of the elderly on buses Alisa greets as they escape from Mariupol. Alisa sharing how she has sent funds to 40 people with the money we sent her and is ready to help more. (All through your generosity) "Good evening -I sent all the help from my card 40 people received help during these two days. I am very glad that there are more and more of them now - this means that they are escaping from Mariupol and can get help. Today a bus with some of them will come to us, and I can personally help them. It's a miracle that I see them. Thanks a lot!!"
Top pictures: "The apartment of one of those whom you helped. Tomorrow he will receive money on the card. Unfortunately, almost all of their houses/apartments look like this."
Sukalo , born in 1935, with her daughter and her daughter's husband. My daughter barely walks. They escaped from Mariupol and we were able to organize their evacuation to Germany to her sister."
With your support, Action-PSJ will continue to help these people rebuild and provide a safety net to ensure their modest and urgent needs are met--immediately and without question. AND as they understand their situation and emerging needs IN PARTNERSHIP -(YOU-ALISA-ACTION-PSJ)we will be there to help.
Wishing everyone a peaceful Shabbat Shalom.
You Can Help Donate and encourage your family and friends to donate- we need to be prepared for any and all needs both now and in the long term.
Shop for Action-PSJ's emergency supply list. As needs emerge we add items. We have been asked to create and send activity kits for children and the elderly. This would make a great family or community project.
Reach out to your legislators . See this campaign from the Jewish Federation and be sure to mention the need for an immediate cease-fire and SAFE Humanitarian Aid corridors. Continue to advocate that the home-bound elderly are included in evacuation plans.
