Grants in the Year 2004 - 2005

• DIPLOMAT HOTEL, JERUSALEM

  To over 600 hotel aged, poor, and declining residents most from the former Soviet Union, Myriam's Dream has aided Alice Jonah and her volunteer corps to provide transportation, food, advice, Torah study, library, choir, handicrafts, medical checkups, dental assistance, etc. Once devoid of services and community spirit, the residents now have an active productive communal fellowship.

• THE RABBANIT, JERUSALEM

  To the poor and elderly, the Rabbanit provides Passover food packages, clothing, kids’ summer camp, a used clothing warehouse, and more. One longtime highly appreciated aspect of her inventory is the supply of wedding dresses which a bride may borrow for this special occasion. Myriam's Dream is providing funding for some administrative and operations assistance.

• MOGILEV

  From our liaison with Mogilev, we are told that there are twenty elderly remaining in this area but because they now have some funding - via Myriam's Dream - there is a new dynamic: the students visit the elderly regularly reading to them, talking with them, and of course bringing them food, medications, repairing their apartments, and stepping in when needed. These older people have been left alone by their children, and now the students of the Jewish Cultural Center are filling the need. Myriam’s Dream also aids in providing medical supplies and equipment, linens, food and summer camp for children who must still cope with after-effects of the Chernobyl explosion.

• YITAV 109, JERUSALEM
  David Zehavi, Chair
  P O Box 3998, Jerusalem 91039 Israel

  David Zahavi and his cadre of volunteers daily check on almost 1,000 isolated elderly, ill, and disabled persons. If there is no answer, or if someone needs assistance (even including minor household repairs), a volunteer visits the home to take appropriate steps.

• AMIT, JERUSALEM

  The program called Shirsheret comprises a group of young people who become pen pals with a group of elderly, often wheel-chair bound people. The two groups meet together about five times a year, having formed a joint choir which performs each June for a festive, well-attended concert. Myriam's Dream gave support for their transportation assistance.
• BEIT FRANKFORTER
  Ms. Sima Zini, Director
  80 Beit Lechem Road
  P O B 10074
  Jerusalem 91100 ISRAEL
  Fax 011-972-2-672-5395

  Beit Frankforter does impressive good works for the elderly including social activities, inter-generation programs, health care, visits to the ill, handicrafts, and language classes to name only a few. It has a web site at http://frankforter.hypermart.net/index.htm which you may want to visit. Myriam’s Dream is supporting a teacher for computer classes for the elderly and handicapped to enhance fine motor, eye-hand coordination and their memory abilities. Quickly noticed is that use of the internet and e-mail helps bridge the generation gap between the elderly and their children and grandchildren. Our grant also includes funds for an instructor to create quality gifts with the elderly participants, such as baby sweaters and hats, aprons, quilts, and artisan crafts.

• MYRIAM’S DREAM BOOKBINDERY
  1102 Atlantic Avenue
  Atlantic City NJ 08401
  Telephone: 609-345-3350
  

  Officially opened in its new Atlantic City location in February, 1999, the Myriam’s Dream bookbindery trains elders in the skilled craft of repairing and rebinding books. As Myriam once commented, “The young tear; the old repair.” The quality of the elders’ work is excellent: complete, precise and creative. Numerous schoolchildren come to visit and see the skilled elderly at work. This year the Bookbindery re-bound more than 2,500 books for schools, synagogues, and individuals, including some large print dictionaries for elders with visual impairment. Myriam’s Dream continues to support the Bookbindery’s community service by funding much-needed bindery supplies and training expenses.

• AM ECHAD
  http://www.amechad.net/

  With its focus in the FSU primarily in St. Petersburg, Russia. Am Echad has aided 103 recipients this past year via volunteers who visited over 300 people. MYRIAM'S DREAM grant is to help over 100 elderly and bedridden clients still on the "Waiting List" for the bare necessities of food, medicine, clothing and warmth (both calorific and personal).

• CLICKE
  Community Leadership & Intervention of Crisis for Kids and Elderly
  Attention: Linda Mosek Director
  P.O. Box 6337
  Hod Hasharon 45241
  ISRAEL
  Telephone: 972-9-7414974
  Fax: 972-9-7414974
  E-mail: linda@roshhelp.co.il
  

  Operating since 1997, Click operates four centers for the aged in different neighborhoods and a day care center for the disabled elderly. The Myriam’s Dream grant this year will support a CLICK neighborhood outreach social worker whose duties will include supervising and recruiting the essential corps of volunteers, creating outreach programs for the home-bound, and continuing and developing community intergenerational projects. One of the most amazing results of the intergenerational program is the partnership and reciprocal relationship that developed between children and elderly in the community. For example, the elderly cook a hot lunch one day a week for the children in the respite care program.” The Director noted the changed attitude toward the elderly by the youth and the “improved feeling of self-worth” which the elderly realized.

• EILAT, ISRAEL
  Attention: Ms. Norma Gaines
  Little Wonders Hot Lunches
  P.O. Box 1081, 88110 Eilat, Israel
  E-mail: paula@eilatcity.co.il

  Many new immigrant grandparents in poor families primarily from Ethiopia, are babysitting for their grandchildren. Except for feeding the babies, these grandparents know little about games, exercises, nutrition, etc. “Little Wonders” for grandparents and little ones, a new program to provide “grandparent education in child care,” will be funded by Myriam’s Dream. This generation-to-generation project will enrich the health and lives of the grandparents as well as the babies.

• YAAKOV MAIMON VOLUNTEERS, ISRAEL
  Contact: Joel Dorkam
  Kibbutz Palmach Tsuba, D.N. Harei Jehuda 90870 Israel
  Tel: 02-347871 Fax: 02-347955

• More new Olim keep arriving at Mevasseret-Zion absorption center and caravan camps on the outskirts of Jerusalem. Myriam’s Dream was requested to increase our support of activities there, particularly among the elderly Olim. Teaching Hebrew and the routines and customs of the immigrants’ new homeland of Israel have become important immigration services from this all-volunteer group.

• L’VUV, UKRAINE

  We are told that most of these elders are survivors of WW2 -- single people, invalids and people with terrible chronic diseases Last year this volunteer group nursed 8 people and gave out to 119 Jewish people 1309 medicines. They write that they “are constantly in debts and your help is very very important. We often become the last point for the needy Jews to get help which no one else can do.” Myriam’s Dream grant will be used to give medicines, food essentials and health care to the home-bound elderly.

• ACTION FOR POST-SOVIET JEWRY

• Active in 42 communities in the Ukraine, three in Belarus, and one in Moldova, APSJ is a major contributor of life's basic necessities, particularly medical aid and food. It has recently improved the seniors' handicraft program. "This is really an outgrowth of the original suggestion we had from Myriam's Dream to develop handiwork to benefit our clients," recently wrote its Executive Director.

• MATE YEHUDA DAY CENTRE FOR ELDERLY, ISRAEL
  Attention: Ruth Yanay or Yuhudit Katz
  c/o Mate Yehuda Regional Council
  P O Box 6835
  Jerusalem 94467 Israel
  Fax: 011-972-2-9900-902

  Mate Yehuda has fine examples of top-notch intergenerational and intercommunity activities (e.g.: Abu Gosh high school). Myriam’s Dream funded the newly developed enabling garden for senior gardeners who use wheelchairs or braces. This year Myriam’s Dream will aid youths who will be working with the elderly on ceramics, silk painting, candle making, weaving, and traditional baking. New this year will be an attempt to grow Biblical plants to dovetail with group discussions about Biblical vegetation, both regarding their uses and their place in literature.