We hope your Thanksgiving was filled with love, gratitude, and just enough good eating. It’s time for our December 2018 Campaign and we hope you’ll give generously. If you’re ready now, you can make your gift right here.
We’ve named this campaign “Gifts Given and Received” because we’ll be remembering gifts that Jonah received for birthdays and holidays, but also the gifts he gave to others, some material, others from his head and his heart. Our hope is that these stories (posted online throughout the month of December at jonahmac.org) will inspire you to make your own gift at jonahmac.org/donate and help us help kids build whole, healthy lives.
Wanna know what we’ve been up to? Here’s a short list of our most recent projects. We hope they inspire you to join us in our efforts to help kids build whole, healthy lives:
1) California Fire Foundation: The wildfires in California have devastated so many lives. California Fire Foundation’s SAVE program provides financial assistance and other support services to survivors struggling to put their lives back together. This program has received a grant from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
2) Families Belong Together: As we continue to witness America’s betrayal of its long-standing passion for being a nation of refugees, some 250 organizations representing Americans from all backgrounds have joined together to fight family separation and detention, seek accountability for the harm that’s been done, and to reunite all families who remain torn apart. We’re honored to provide a grant from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
3) RAICES: The Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services in Ft Worth, TX, provides free and low-cost legal services to underserved immigrant children, families, and refugees at our southern border. RAICES is also working to secure safe passage for the migrant caravan, especially LGBTQ+ migrants who face additional hurdles as they seek asylum from bigotry and persecution. We’re humbled to support this determined migration from Central America with a grant from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
4) Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation: Michael Kamen, composer for the film Mr. Holland’s Opus, was inspired to create an organization that gives young people the opportunity to learn and play music in schools that lack the means to do so themselves. We love this and have very happily made a gift to them from The JMF Arts Fund.
5) American Indian College Fund: Our gratitude on Thanksgiving Day must include appreciation for America’s indigenous peoples. We can never pay them back for injustices perpetrated through the centuries, but we must do something. With only 14% of American Indians earning college degrees (less than half the national average), AICF empowers 4000 American Indian students annually to start and stay in school, complete degrees and launch careers. With admiration for their great heritage, as well as our heartfelt apology for all they’ve lost, we humbly make this grant from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
6) Kutz Camp Scholarship Fund: From the 1970s onward, someone in our family has spent part of most summers at Kutz Camp, a Jewish teen leadership program that helps young people develop passions for Jewish life and values. Jonah adored his summers there (he spent pretty much of his entire life as either a fac brat, program participant, or staff member). Our family is so pleased to be able to provide this gift from The JMF Jewish Life Fund.
7) Drink4Life: With the knowledge that 663 million people worldwide lack safe drinking water, Drink4Life hopes that, by 2030, they will provide water for more than six million men, women and children in Africa, Asia and Latin America. We’re delighted to support this effort through a grant from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
8) National Association of Black Journalists’ Student Education Enrichment and Development (SEED) Program: NABJ awards annual scholarships to deserving high school and college students interested in pursuing journalism careers. We’re honored to share in encouraging this important career path through a gift from The JMF Arts Fund.
9) Southern Poverty Law Center: America’s premier gladiator fighting the good fight against bigotry and hate. As our nation continues to struggle with a precipitous rise in hate activities, SPLC works to make our country safe for every child, regardless of race, religion, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation. We’re extremely proud to support their work through a gift from The JMF Social Justice Fund.
That’s what we’ve been up to. If you’d like to help us do more, please donate to our December 2018 Campaign here.
One more thing: Our “So Is Life” CD — magnificently recorded by Dan Nichols, Josh Nelson, Rosalie Boxt and Ellen Dreskin (now calling themselves … ta da … So Is Life) — is available as a download (or on CD, if anyone still has a CD player). The proceeds all come to The Jonah Maccabee Foundation, so order lots & lots of copies for Hanukkah right here. Thanks!
We continue to miss Jonah and to feel grateful: a) that we had him in our lives; and, b) that he’s inspired us to do good stuff in his name. We’re incredibly honored that you’ve joined us in our work and thank you in advance for donating to our December Campaign.
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation
1 comment
Join the conversationRobin Sacharoff - November 26, 2018
Wow – wonderful choices for causes to give to ! Now I know who to donate to! I enjoy reading your posts and am inspired by the writing! It’s an honor to have Katie in our family and was happy to see her and Mark at Michael’s wedding! Happy holidays to your family!