JDC: Addressing Critical Needs in Haiti

Stay informed. JDC's new blog, No Passport Required features images and impressions from JDC and its partners in Haiti. And our disaster response page is a one-stop communications hub for the latest program developments.

Thank you. Your support is already making an impact as part of $2.8 million donated to JDC's Haiti earthquake relief efforts.

This is the face of Haiti right now. And so is the face of Michel, a young man the JDC team met who has survived what may be the new century's greatest catastrophe yet. He lost his family, his home, and his livelihood in the earthquake. Like hundreds of thousands of fellow Haitians, Michel is struggling to regain his bearings amidst the rubble that just two weeks ago had been homes, schools, hospitals, markets, and places of worship.

Michel has lost nearly everything except his life ... and the will to keep going.

This spirit of resolve, witnessed by JDC's team on the ground, is building a sense of hope among the Haitian people as large-scale humanitarian assistance shows no signs of letting up. And your support is enabling JDC to be part of this epic response.

Our work is expanding with new partners:
International Rescue Committee will use JDC support to fund several water supply projects that will provide sources of clean, potable water in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding community.

Through the ProDev Foundation, a local Haitian NGO, 20 JDC-sponsored water tanks will ensure clean drinking water for people living in tent villages.

A JDC-allotted grant to Chabad-Lubavitch of the Dominican Republic is funding convoys carrying milk due to reach children in Haiti tomorrow.

Through existing partners on the ground, JDC continues to successfully channel critical food, water, and medical aid to victims under intensely challenging circumstances.

EcoWorks International's feeding program, run out of the remains of a local hospital, is bringing cooked meals and water to 250 patients and their families daily, and bringing rice and other food to 4,000 orphans.

An expanded partnership with Heart to Heart International, which includes the purchase of four trucks, is ensuring that medical relief and supplies reach isolated communities.

JDC-funded equipment helped the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces complete the mission of its field hospital, which was operational within 10 hours of the earthquake.

JDC's commitment to you and to the people of Haiti is to not only ease the suffering of today, but to help this island nation rebuild for tomorrow.

To Make a Contribution:

Online: www.JDC.org

By Phone: 212-687-6200

By Mail: check payable to
JDC-Haiti Earthquake Relief
P O Box 4124
New York, NY 10163

Text "JDCHAITI" to 8-5-9-4-4 to donate via mobile phone

From 'The Jewish Daily Forward'...

This recent editorial from the Jewish Daily Forward about the importance of Jewish giving to non-sectarian humanitarian causes features JDC's relief efforts in Haiti. 

Read the editorial at After the Earth Moved. 

JGooders Features JDC's Haiti Earthquake Relief Efforts

JGooders, an online platform for Jewish philanthropy has featured JDC's Haiti relief efforts on their blog. 

Read the blog post at Helping Haiti is Just a Click Away.

According to the website:
JGooders.com is an online giving platform for you to engage with Jewish and Israeli causes and network with like-minded people. An online community, JGooders offers you a new way, to implement tikkun olam, or social change, through personal involvement.

JGooders provides a unique forum for learning about a wide variety of specific projects and getting involved in several ways – donating, volunteering, activism and networking. Actively promoting transparency and an ongoing stream of information, JGooders enables you to learn, compare and keep track of the projects they have funded through a personal giving account.

To learn more about JGooders, visit their website at http://www.jgooders.com/. 

To donate to JDC's Haiti Earthquake Relief efforts, please visit www.jdc.org or call, (212) 687-6200. 

Support JDC's Relief Efforts in Haiti Through Your Cell Phone

JDC has now launched a Mobile Giving Campaign to support relief efforts in Haiti.  By sending a text you can make a small donation quickly and easily.

You can donate $10 via your mobile phone by sending "JDCHAITI" to 8-5-9-4-4.

JDC's Haiti Relief: One Week Later

Millions of lives—and the future of a nation—are still in jeopardy.

One week after a catastrophic earthquake struck Haiti, global relief efforts are battling the clock and multiple aftershocks to meet the vast humanitarian needs of the Haitian people. The good news is that JDC and its partners on the ground are reaching victims every hour with critical medical, nutritional, and material relief.

Supporters of JDC are directly responsible for this progress to date:

As of January 20, JDC has received more than 8,000 individual gifts—exceeding $1.5 million—for Haiti relief. An additional $2 million has been raised for JDC Haiti relief by the Jewish Federations of North America.

Within days of the disaster, JDC-supported relief agency Heart to Heart International and its team of doctors and nurses were on the ground providing critical medical aid first in Port-au-Prince and later in Leogane, an isolated town where little other assistance has reached.

The Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces, another JDC partner, is operating a field hospital in Port-au-Prince that is saving lives and administering vital medical care. JDC helped equip the hospital with high-demand orthopedic devices and infant incubators for its neonatal unit. This effort has been widely reported in the news, including on CNN, FoxNews, and Israel's Channel 2 (please view this link in Internet Explorer).

Working in collaboration with the Afya Foundation, JDC sent a container of mattresses and much-needed medical supplies to Zanmi Lasante/Partners in Health, a renowned local NGO. A second container is being shipped on Friday and a third will follow.

JDC is also supporting EcoWorks International which is currently setting up a feeding program for victims.

Further partnerships with local NGOs are being explored by JDC to provide emergency assistance during this initial stage of its disaster response.

JDC is continuing to coordinate its activities with the White House, the Department of State, USAID, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli relief agencies, the United Nations, and the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief.

JDC's work and impact will be felt long after images of the devastation disappear from the news. As with the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, JDC will reserve a large portion of funds raised for Haiti relief for intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs. The goal is to effect sustainable improvements in health, education, and employment throughout the island nation.

JDC brings unparalleled experience to this effort through its International Development Program (IDP), which has provided immediate relief and long-term development assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters in more than 60 countries.

To Make a Contribution:
Online: www.JDC.org

By Phone: 212-687-6200

By Mail: check payable to
JDC-Haiti Earthquake Relief
P O Box 4124
New York, NY 10163

Shalom from Tashkent, Uzbekistan!

A Message from Dov Ben-Shimon, Executive Director, Strategic Relationships

My colleague Diana Fiedotin and I are escorting an Ambassadors Circle mission to Turkey and Uzbekistan for a memorable and unique week-long experience.

Some of the highlights have included meetings with leaders of the Turkish Jewish community, seeing the bright future of Uzbekistan's young Jewish leaders, as well as JDC's extensive welfare work with thousands of Jewish poor and needy. We've also toured bazaars and mosques, met with US diplomats - including a superb briefing from the US Ambassador to Uzbekistan today. We're now on our way to Bukhara to meet with the Jewish community and experience more hospitality.

More to follow.
Dov

Update: JDC’s Emergency Response to the Haiti Earthquake

Monday, January 18, 2010

JDC Response: Within hours of the devastation wrought by the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, JDC mobilized and opened a mailbox to begin collecting funds for relief efforts. JDC immediately coordinated with partners to determine how to most effectively and quickly provide the essential relief needed on the ground in Haiti.

JDC’s goal during the first stage of a disaster of this magnitude is to provide emergency relief efforts that meet the immediate needs of survivors. JDC is currently working in two main areas: providing medical supplies and equipment, and providing food.

Medical Supplies and Equipment
News outlets report death tolls of between 50,000 and 100,000, with many more victims of the earthquake badly injured. JDC is supporting the provision of medical equipment by three different ground agencies—one Israeli, one American, and one local:

1. JDC is working with the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Force whose team of medical professionals landed in Haiti this past Friday to set up a field hospital on a soccer field near the city center that is now caring for hundreds of wounded citizens. JDC’s donated funds purchased medical equipment, including infant incubators for a neonatal unit and orthopedic devices. A baby was born in the unit over the weekend; the first-time mother named her new son “Israel.”

To see how your donations are already making a difference, please watch this video from CNN.  

2. Heart to Heart International, a U.S. nongovernmental organization (NGO) already operating on the ground in Haiti, is providing emergency medical assistance with equipment and supplies purchased by JDC. Heart to Heart International works in 60 countries and has partnered with JDC in the past to provide medical equipment and medical supplies to vulnerable Jewish communities around the world.

3. Medical supplies and equipment were scarce in Haiti even before the disaster, but in light of the devastation and considerable number of injured, the impact of this shortage is the immediate loss of lives. Working with the Afya Foundation, a container of mattresses and much-needed medical supplies has been sent to a well-respected local NGO called Zanmi Lasante (Partners in Health), started in Haiti by Dr. Paul Farmer. JDC is also supporting the shipment of two additional containers through the Afya Foundation. Currently, there is considerable difficulty in getting supplies into Haiti due to damage to the port and extensive airport traffic.

Food Provision
Ready-to-eat food and clean water are among the most pressing needs at this stage. JDC is supporting a soup kitchen operated by EcoWorks International, a not-for-profit NGO working with poor communities around the world to help break the cycle of poverty through the development of sustainable projects that promote self-reliance, improvement of standards of living, and protection of natural resources. EcoWorks already has an operational presence in Haiti with a strong network of grassroots organizations, and is experienced in emergency relief and reconstruction, having worked in countries destroyed by natural disasters (Armenia) and by war or genocide (Somalia, Rwanda).

Next Steps: JDC will reserve a large portion of funds for sustainable intermediate and long-term rebuilding and reconstruction programs. JDC’s experience during the 2004 Tsunami in South Asia exemplified that the organization could have the greatest impact on the affected communities during the recovery and development phases. JDC will develop initiatives with both international and local partners to provide the victims of this earthquake with opportunities for sustainable improvements in the areas of health, education, and employment using its core professional competencies to serve vulnerable populations.

In the coming weeks JDC will:

• Continue to monitor its immediate relief efforts on the ground in Haiti;
• Send staff to the region as soon as it is clear we can do so without endangering their lives or imposing any strain on the local population;
• Explore additional partnerships with local NGOs to provide emergency assistance during this initial stage of the disaster response;
• Continue to coordinate activities with the White House, Department of State, the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Israeli relief agencies, and the United Nations;
• Coordinate efforts of the Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief—an alliance of 45 U.S. and foreign Jewish agencies. This coalition provides a united Jewish response to humanitarian disasters and has formed a new coalition for Haiti relief.

Eli Eliezri z"l

From Steve Schwager, CEO

JDC lost one of its authentic, colorful heroes last week; Eli Eliezri passed away in Israel on Monday morning, January 4, 2010.

A lyrical name for a larger than life personality… Eli officially joined the JDC family in the late 1980s, when he represented JDC while working on organizing and providing welfare to the Ethiopian Beta Israel community prior to the rescue mission called Operation Solomon. That was the first of many special projects that garnered Eli’s attention. Disaster response and crisis management became his raison d’etre—Sarajevo, Kosovo, Kenya, Indonesia, Thailand, Rwandan refugees in Goma, Zaire. When disaster struck, Eli was “the fixer,” our “man on the ground,” JDC’s heroic “cowboy” who, in the finest JDC tradition, never saw a problem he couldn’t fix and never faced a disaster where JDC couldn’t come and improve the lives of the victims. Anything was possible, and he loved nothing more than proving to diverse populations that JDC and the Jewish people were heroes in the finest sense of the word.

Between 1991 and 1994, Eli organized and oversaw 11 rescue operations of the elderly and women and children—Jews and non-Jews—from the city of Sarajevo. Only Eli could have secured permission from the different warring sides in Bosnia and Croatia that guaranteed freedom of movement and safe passage within their respective zones for JDC’s convoys. Eli attended one set of Board meetings, proudly carrying laminated copies of the official letters of permission, and justly boasted: “See, no one else has permission from all sides to work—only the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee!” Ambassador Richard Schifter, who was working on special White House assignment during the crisis in the Balkans, agreed. “Remarkable,” he told Will Recant. “JDC is the only organization in the world that could have achieved this.”

NEW YORKERS CAN DONATE SUPPLIES TO HAITI THROUGH JDC PARTNERS

NEW YORK, NY, January 15, 2010-The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the world's largest Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, in collaboration with the Afya Foundation, began loading their first container of supplies in New York City this morning at 9:30 a.m. to be shipped to victims of Haiti’s catastrophic earthquake. The container, which is filled with hundreds of mattresses and blankets donated by Jewish Home Lifecare in New York City, will be shipped for Partners in Health International to manage the logistics of distribution on the ground in Haiti.

New Yorkers can participate right now by donating the following supplies to the drop-off location

Afya’s Warehouse at 510 Nepperhan Avenue, Yonkers, NY 10701.

Sheets
Blankets
Sleeping Bags
Towels
Clothing
Water Purification Tablets
Water
Electrolyte Tablets
Small Water Buckets
Ensure (or any liquid food supplement)
Respiratory Masks
Personal Care Items
Gauze
Bandages
IV Starter Kits
Syringes
Gloves
Needles
Ringers
Hand Sanitizer
Topical Antiseptic
Casting Materials
Cotton
Closed Toed Shoes

Please note supplies cannot be accepted which are expired or less than 5 months from expiration.

The Afya Foundation has been working in collaboration with Partners in Health International for many years to collect and deliver medical supplies that are donated by hospitals, health organizations, companies and people to communities in Haiti.

JDC continues to conduct a full and rapid assessment of the situation on the ground, and is reaching out to its network of partners to determine immediate needs of the hardest-hit areas. These efforts are part of JDC's International Development Program (IDP), which provides immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters. JDC and its partners worldwide have implemented similar relief efforts in more than 60 countries. Many IDP-operated programs are ongoing and are helping to rebuild infrastructure and community life in disaster-stricken regions.


To Make a Contribution:

Online: http://www.jdc.org/

By Phone: 212-687-6200

By Mail: check payable to
JDC-Haiti Earthquake Relief
P O Box 4124
New York, NY 10163

JDC CRISIS RESPONSE: HAITI

In the wake of the January 12th earthquake in Haiti, the immense scale of the devastation is only beginning to be understood. News sources are reporting the loss of more than 100,000 lives and massive damage to the island's infrastructure.

JDC is the official humanitarian assistance organization acting on behalf of the Jewish community and The Jewish Federations of North America. In this capacity, JDC has moved swiftly to coordinate relief efforts with its network of Israeli, American, and other local partners on the ground.

JDC is currently supporting Heart to Heart International to provide immediate medical aid, equipment, and services to victims of the earthquake. JDC is also working with the Medical Corps of the Israel Defense Forces and has purchased critical medical equipment for its field hospital, including infant incubators for its neonatal unit and orthopedic devices. Further partnerships are being explored for the next phase of JDC's support for Haiti's victims.

JDC brings unparalleled experience to this effort through its International Development Program (IDP), which has provided immediate relief and long-term development assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters in more than 60 countries.

To Make a Contribution:
Online: www.JDC.org

By Phone: 212-687-6200

By Mail: check payable to
JDC-Haiti Earthquake Relief
P O Box 4124
New York, NY 10163

Nesiyah Tovah

We would like to wish all the participants on the JDC Ambassadors Circle Mission to Turkey and Uzbekistan a wonderful journey.

Pictures from Uzbekistan

Pictures from Turkey

Upcoming JDC Ambassadors Circle Missions:
Cuba - June 3-6, 2010
Rwanda and Ethiopia - October 6-13, 2010

For more information, please email ambassadors@jdc.org or call (212) 885-0876

JDC ACCEPTS DONATIONS TO AID VICTIMS OF EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI

NEW YORK, NY, January 13, 2010—The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), the world’s largest Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, announced today that it is collecting funds on a non-sectarian basis for relief efforts following the catastrophic earthquake, the worst in over 200 years, that struck Haiti yesterday evening.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti in the wake of this overwhelming disaster, and as we did following Hurricane Gustav in 2008, JDC will leverage its strong partnerships in the region to respond quickly and compassionately to the needs of those affected,” said Steven Schwager, JDC’s Chief Executive Officer. “Now and in the months to come, JDC will provide both immediate relief as well as long-term assistance to help the Haitian people rebuild their lives.”

JDC is conducting a full and rapid assessment of the situation on the ground, and reaching out to its network of partners to determine critical next steps based on immediate needs of the hardest-hit areas. The efforts are part of JDC’s International Development Program (IDP), which provides immediate relief and long-term assistance to victims of natural and manmade disasters. JDC and its partners worldwide have implemented similar relief efforts and continue to operate programs designed to rebuild infrastructure and community life in disaster-stricken regions.

To Make a Contribution:
Online: https://www.jdc.org/donation/donate.aspx
Choose 'Haiti Earthquake Relief'  in the drop-down menu

By Phone: 212-687-6200

By Mail: check payable to
JDC-Haiti Earthquake Relief
P O Box 4124
New York, NY 10163

About the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC)
Since 1914, the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC) has given global expression to the principle that all Jews are responsible for one another. Working today in over 70 countries, JDC acts on behalf of North America’s Jewish communities and others to rescue Jews in danger, provide relief to those in distress, revitalize overseas Jewish communities and help Israel overcome the social challenges of its most vulnerable citizens. JDC also provides non-sectarian emergency relief and long-term development assistance worldwide. For more information, please log on to: www.JDC.org

Nutrition Program Makes Healthy Living a Family Matter

It can be easy to undervalue the importance of balanced nutrition in shaping the journey from infancy to adulthood. Lial, age 35 from Nazareth, suffered a painful childhood in a broken home without a mother. Married at 19, it wasn’t long before she realized the heavy physical and emotional price she would have to pay as an adult for her own parents’ absence and neglect during her formative years.

“In my youth, I was severely anorexic,” Lial confessed in a recent interview. “I starved myself completely and reached a weight of 65 pounds. My anorexia led to fertility problems which—combined with the fact that I didn’t know how to cook, as I never had a mother to teach me—eventually led to my divorce and left me alone in this world.”

Lial eventually became a single mother, and she was determined from the start to provide her daughter with a better, healthier childhood than the one she experienced. “After my daughter was born, I didn’t want her to be scared of food like I was. But since I couldn’t cook, all I could do was buy her hot dogs and lots of fattening foods—things I couldn’t bring myself to eat.”

Lial and her daughter are not alone. Many of Israel’s 350,000 at-risk children are vulnerable to eating disorders, malnutrition, obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, and various nutrition-related diseases, largely because those in charge of their care lack the means and knowledge to instill good eating habits. Healthy living programs are limited in schools due to insufficient funding, which further compounds the problem and challenges children’s long-term development.

With the help of the JDC-supported Nutrition Enrichment and Healthy Living Program, parents like Lial can now take command of their family’s choices around nutrition.

The Hesed: Filling a Social and Economic Gap in the FSU

Briefing from Steve Schwager, CEO

The Hesed centers throughout the former Soviet Union (FSU) have become a critical lifeline for the poorest Jews on earth. The diminishing purchasing power of the U.S. dollar means that each year presents a greater struggle to find adequate resources to meet their most fundamental needs. In spite of major efforts, we are not succeeding; the Hasadim have been removing needy elderly from the caseload in order to service those who are even needier. Asher Ostrin, JDC’s FSU Regional Director, wrote a brief report on the history of the Hesed movement and where we stand today. I share an edited version with you below.

Since the concept of a JDC Hesed began 16 years ago, the word “Hesed” has become part of the JDC lexicon. In the late ’90s, it actually appears in some Russian dictionaries, often without reference to its roots in the Jewish tradition. The word literally means goodness, or mercy. The goal was to ease the suffering and perhaps add quality to the remaining years of elderly FSU Jews—individuals who lived through wars, political systems that repressed them, societies that singled them out for discrimination, and who have been reduced to penury in their twilight years. In actuality, the Hasadim extended the lives of those they served.

What follows is the concept underpinning JDC's efforts, from a piece written by Searle Brajtman, Director of FSU Special Projects, who works from Jerusalem:

“JDC returned to the FSU in the early nineties—a very difficult time for the local population. The economy was going through enormous transitions from a Communist to a quasi Capitalist structure: lifetime savings became worthless, pensions were seriously eroded, medical infrastructure deteriorated enormously, and food was scarce and sometimes unaffordable for the elderly. There was much poverty, with needs far in excess of the resources available to JDC. We turned to the USDA for a multi-million dollar non-sectarian grant to distribute food in Moscow and St. Petersburg—our initial major welfare program, implemented in 1991-1992. But it was a stop-gap measure; we realized that we would need to put in place community infrastructures which, given the then-prevailing levels of political instability and uncertainty, would be able to take care of their needy on a local basis should JDC be expelled. Along with the infrastructure we needed to line up the funding on an ongoing basis. Our initial welfare budgets in the early ’90s were so small that when I convinced Mazon in LA to provide $30,000 for FSU food packages in 1993, it was considered significant funding!

Update from Jerusalem: Israel's Children

Update from Arnon Mantver, Director of JDC-Israel


Shalom all,

Young Adults for themselves and their Communities
I know you are aware that we are extremely concerned about the deep budget cuts at JDC and the effect these cuts are having on JDC's unique position as an R&D organization for social issues in Israel. This week an event occurred that was so uplifting as to temporarily wipe these concerns from my mind. The second annual Conference of Young Adults in Israel was attended by thousands of Israeli young men and women – the vast majority of them from among the 250,000 who are immigrants or children of immigrant parents. A major portion of these young adults are members of the network of 30 Centers which were established and supported by JDC as a means to helping immigrants access higher education, get jobs and integrate into Israeli society. These young people are truly the next generation of leadership in Israel and seeing them advocating for themselves and seeking ways to help others is truly inspirational.

All Children Deserve a Good Start
The newspapers in Israel are full of stories and exposes regarding the situation of foreign workers in the country. The situation is complex, political and hits an emotional nerve. JDC, which zealously guards its non-political status in Israel, is not involved in lobbying or advocacy for this population be we are attempting to assist the children who are innocent victims of their own situation. With assistance from the European Union and the Bader Foundation, we are upgrading the early childhood frameworks located in Tel Aviv which serve the children of foreign workers and asylum seekers. We have also replicated the JDC-developed Gamla program on behalf of this population, using adult volunteers to provide social activities for these children. Meeting the needs of children-at-risk is a top priority for JDC, no matter who their parents may be.

Jewish Renewal in Odessa

The Associated: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore shares the latest update from the field about JDC-partnered Jewish renewal programs in Odessa, Ukraine. 

Read all about it on the Baltimore Israel and Overseas blog at Jewish Renewal in Odessa.