The month of Elul (the last month of the Hebrew calendar before Rosh Hashanah), is traditionally a time of reflection and introspection. This past year was a difficult one for all, and we are incredibly grateful to each and every one of our supporters. It’s through your donations that we have been able to continue our version of the work of Tikkun Olam – assisting our fellow neighbors across the country to recover and rebuild after disasters.
In March 2020, NECHAMA pivoted from natural disaster response to assisting with COVID response by supporting our local Minneapolis community through donations of PPE and delivering enrichment kits to senior citizen facilities; and by delivering bulk food supplies to communities throughout Minnesota. We returned to doing natural disaster response as soon as it was deemed safe for our staff, volunteers, and clients whose homes we enter each day.
In late 2020 we traveled to Louisiana to help those affected by Hurricane Laura. In partnership with another relief organization, we engaged 101 volunteers who donated 6,198 hours of their time to assist 77 families in desperate need.
In early 2021 we engaged remote volunteers to work with the Crisis Clean-Up call center to receive and log calls for help from those in Texas suffering from the effects of a brutal winter storm – ultimately answering the calls of 751 clients in need.
Most recently NECHAMA was in Detroit, Michigan where heavy rain in June resulted in catastrophic flooding. Our staff and volunteers worked tirelessly alongside AmeriCorps teams to provide assistance to homeowners in need – removing water still contaminating homes; taking out sections of drywall covered in mold; and in general, helping those we meet start the long process of recovery. As one person we helped shared, “After the storm, I lost all hope, but you all showed up and I’m hopeful again.”
As we approach the high holidays, hope and gratitude are at the nexus of our reflections. We wish to share with you the gratitude expressed by those we help – you have kept us going and have brought hope to many.
Please join us, the Board of Directors of NECHAMA, in making a donation to this organization to allow us to continue repairing the world one home at a time.
L’shanah Tovah,
The Board of Directors
Beau Shapiro, Ellie Lowenfeld, Jeremy Wolf, Kyle Smith, Liz Farrell, Seth Gardner, Steve Matloff, Tracy Figueroa, Wendy Morris