As the Shabbos Queen is escorted on Motzaei Shabbos, community balabustas are feverishly serving melaveh malkah, throwing a load of laundry in the machine, and cleaning up from the three meals served in the previous 24 hours. Chesed begins at home, and these women clearly provide this for their families. Yet on February 4, over 250 women provided chesed to our entire community as they came out in droves to attend the launching party of Community Cares.
Community Cares is a program where people have the opportunity to promise a set amount of money every week to help a fellow community member do anything from pay food bills, seek medical help, or meet the monthly household expenses. For the same cost as a latte, manicure, or a salad, thousands of dollars have been collected to date.
The night was hosted in the home of Mr. Yanky and Mrs. Machi Muller, pillars of chesed in their own right. A beautiful sushi and dairy spread was prepared, complemented by gourmet desserts. Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender, founder of Achiezer, addressed the capacity crowd and introduced the initiative. Participants pledge any denomination for Achiezer to charge their card weekly from $5 to $20.
“Many women spend so much money on their family’s grocery bills, and don’t think twice about throwing in a few extra snacks for Shabbos treats, or weekday convenience items. How could I not pledge $5-$10 a week to a tzedakah that would help my family’s friends?” pointed out one attendee.
In fact, many of the recipients of this chesed may very well be neighbors that we carpool with, families with whom we daven, or even close friends who feel mortified sharing their difficulties with friends. “The economic situation in the world right now is beyond awful. Breadwinners are struggling to put basics on their table.” commented Suri Bender, one of the chairladies of the event.
Statistics show that the burden of a family’s illness does not lie with actual medical expenses, but the outlay needed for related bills. “I know many families that wait a few days before taking their kids to the doctors for sick visits, because the $30 copay is just beyond their budget. Imagine a mother who is keeping her treatment a secret from her friends. Extra cleaning help is vital, or food during her long outpatient stays is necessary. The mission of this project is to ease this incredible burden,” remarked Rabbi Boruch Ber Bender, founder of Achiezer.
Community Cares directly supports many existing programs of Achiezer, such as insurance advocacy, hospital support, mental health services, food and meal programs, bereavement and chevra kadisha services, and family crisis counseling.
Additionally, many women had the opportunity to sign up as Achiezer volunteers in various different capacities. It is said that people have an added energy to “do” on Motzaei Shabbos because it is theoretically the first moment of the week when Mashiach could come. Let’s harness that energy to create a constant flow of chesed and tzedakah by supporting a program that directly helps our fellow Jew. May the continuous funds provided by the Community Cares program blossom into a resource which will alleviate the stress of our community and bring Mashiach closer.
To contribute weekly to Community Cares, sign up at achiezer.org/cares.