COMMUNITY MAGAZINE April 2021

NISSAN - IYAR 5781 / APRIL 2021 23 are rallying our community around those hit by poverty, illness, pandemic, and unemployment to bring us all together to help each other.” The rapid growth of the organization in such a short amount of time is astonishing, with millions of dollars fundraised and distributed. Its success in three short years is nothing short of stunning. It has distributed $2 million in aid to 1,200 families, distributed more than $400,000 worth of grocery vouchers to over 550 families, helped raise funds for 65 weddings, and funded $500,000 in interest-free loans. And, FCF has evolved from a small organization with a cubicle in a shared office space, to a real location with two full-time staffers. Some 400 volunteers have stepped up to the plate to distribute goods and services, and the board is dedicated to investing their own spare time to help in as many ways as they can. Board member David Heskiel proudly states, “I am privileged to be involved in the truly remarkable and heroic work the Flatbush Community Fund does on a daily basis to alleviate the financial stress of needy families in our community.” Unique to our community, they provide free tutoring services to 200 children on a monthly basis, as part of a program that has demonstrated enormous tangible results, receiving praise from schools, donors, and students. The goal of the tutors, say organizers, isn’t merely to attend to those students who have slipped academically, but also to ensure they are proactively keeping up with their studies. These initiatives have received the emphatic endorsement of an exceptionally wide range of community institutions and leaders. They have the support of 200 local shuls, and of prominent rabbis such as Rabbi Yisrael Reisman, Rabbi Elya Brudny, Rabbi Moshe Tuvia Leiff, and Rabbi Moshe Bergman. TEAMWORK Realizing that no one single organization can do it all, FCF immediately networked with an array of other organizations to more effectively serve the community. UJA Federation, Met Council, Tzur, and COJO are just a few agencies that have teamed up with FCF to provide more assistance to more families. Tzur has a wedding fund matching scheme, dollar-for-dollar, that has given half a million dollars to offset simha costs. Leon Goldenberg and COJO have offered various resources to process interest-free loans, with $1.5 million already collected by FCF and given out to those who need a helping hand. For their part, UJA has offered grants and funds, financial mentoring, and helping with the food pantry. Met Council has also joined in, as a channel to help those with emergency utility and rent expenses. “We just gave wedding assistance to a single mother,” Weinberg says. "She reached back out to me to thank me. She was incredibly amazed. She couldn’t believe it. She filled out the application, we went through the vetting process, and she got thousands of dollars toward her wedding expenses. She wrote a whole long letter. She couldn’t contain herself about the burden taken off of her. Besides Chief Jeffrey Maddrey’s office of community affairs was represented as well by Deputy Inspector Richie Taylor and his outreach team, working together with the other volunteers to get the boxes packed and ready for distribution. NYPD Clergy Liaison David Heskiel remarked, “It’s refreshing to see such exemplary leadership from Deputy Inspector Taylor. He and his entire team are involved with the youth, the community, with those in need, and making sure to go above and beyond for our community and for all the various communities throughout the city. He proactively reaches out to community leaders to see how he can help.” THANK YOU NYPD!!! As we have continued to grow and support the entire community, we have brought on David Heskiel, who was already involved with the Fund, to join our Board and be our community liaison. “I am privileged to be involved in the truly remarkable and heroic work the Flatbush Community Fund does on a daily basis to alleviate the financial stress of needy families in our community." David Heskiel , Board member