Supporters

The seventeenth annual giving campaign raised $26,800, with contributions from 182 individual donors.

Generous gifts also came from Camp Council, Center for Leadership Development-Birthright Israel, The Good People Fund, Hannah Langendorf Fund, Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, Kelman-Brown Hebrew Academy, Men’s Club, Temple Beth Hillel/Beth El, Milken Family Foundation, Gloria Moldoff Memorial Fund, Rittenhouse Foundation, Gilroy and Lillian Roberts Charitable Foundation, Shabbat Dinner Club, The Susquehanna Foundation, United Way of SoutheasternPennsylvania and the Women of Vision Fund.

The sum of these donations enabled FHBS to increase outreach to Jewish women in crisis. We are grateful to have so many supporters who understand and embrace our mission

Board of Managers

  • Gabrielle Applebaum
  • Naomi Benditt
  • Juliet Englander**
  • Debra Felman
  • Rochelle Hirsh**
  • Barbara Jaffe
  • Elaine Katz*
  • Marlene Korn*
  • Carmel Levine
  • Joanne Lippert
  • Nancy Messinger
  • Rise Newman**
  • Eve Orlow
  • Judith Richards
  • Carol B. Shore
  • Eileen S. Sklaroff
  • Pamela Stein
  • Mirele Steinig*

*Emerita **Observer

What Do We Do?

Emergency Aid: $56,855

FHBS assisted 98 unduplicated clients. One hundred nine grants were issued. Average grant was $522. Shelter and medical needs of all kinds – co-pays, insurance, transportation, supplies, equipment – continue to be the most often requested grants. Jewish Family & Children’s Service continues to be our top, most trusted referral source.

M.T. is a 38-year-old divorced woman with a 14-year-old daughter. The child has a diagnosis of ADHD, for which she takes medication, compounded by a history of sexual abuse involving a former member of the household. M.T. has a full time job yielding a monthly income, with child support, of $2,400. About a year ago, she was told that she needed two operations, to be scheduled about two months apart. Total time lost from work would be 10-weeks, and M.T. had only two-weeks paid vacation. She began to work as much overtime as possible to save for the periods during which she would be recovering from her surgeries. FHBS stepped in and covered an electric bill of $237.27 and a mortgage payment of $805.23.

Monthly Stipends: $23,075

Thirteen women were assisted with grants between $50-$175 per month. Financial updates are required of all stipend recipients midway through the funding cycle.  Additionally, each woman received a $50 gift card for the supermarket of her choice to help with the cost of Passover food.

S.K. is a retired secretary. She is 79-years-old, never married and has no family. She lived with her mother, until her death about 20-years ago, in the same studio apartment S.K. has rented for 38-years. She cannot imagine living elsewhere. While she fears a raise in rent, S.K. is too anxious to contem-plate applying for subsidized senior housing. Her total monthly income, including Social Security, pension and a small amount of interest is $770. Rent is $605, mainly because a kind land-lord is sensitive to her situation and keeps increases at a minimum. When a long time client died, her stipend was split among several new clients, and S.K. was added at $50 per month. Even that small amount made a difference in the quality of her life. She is now receiving $150.

Senior Supports/Emergency Response Systems: $14,875

Sixty-three frail, elderly women gained peace of mind with the addition of a personal emergency response system to their telephone equipment, enabling them to remain safely in their own homes. Thirty-nine of these women are over the age of 85; nineteen women, or 49% of this group, are between the ages of 90-98. Twenty-one live at 100% or below the Federal poverty level. When a woman calls for assistance, FHBS is notified by fax and, in turn, alerts the client’s care manager. Our service provider received 32 calls for help during the 12-month period, and in turn, sent a fax to FHBS.  Care managers were then notified for appropriate follow up.  This program was funded, in large part, by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

P.H. is an 82-year-old divorced woman who was lives alone in a condo unit, which she owns. The monthly fee is only $155; taxes are $944. But the client’s income derives solely from Social Security, $827 per month, supplemented by $66 in food stamps. P.H. has serious mobility problems and lay on the floor unable to get up after a recent fall. In the event of a future incident, her personal emergency response system, provided by FHBS, will allow her to call for assistance. The cost per client per year is $300.

Senior Supports/Stair Glides: $3,690

Five clients were continued from the prior fiscal year, three of whom are Holocaust survivors. Rental rates vary depending on the kind of equipment, configuration of the house and when the stair glide was installed.

Camp Scholarships: $24,050

FHBS enabled 35 families to send 53 children to 18 different day and overnight camps. This program was funded, in part, by Camp Council and The Susquehanna Foundation.

B.H. is a 45-year-old divorced mother with three dependent children, the youngest of whom has severe mental and physical disabilities. The child’s father was a substance abuser and has never been present in her life. When B.H. was laid off from her job as a customer service representative, she had no idea how she could afford past tuition due to the special needs camp her daughter looks forward to attending each summer. The family’s case manager at an agency located in the suburbs contacted Jewish Information and Referral Service seeking assistance. FHBS awarded a scholarship of $500 and referred the case manager to the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for the balance. B.H. paid $100 and her daughter had another wonderful experience at camp.