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: $51,846

FHBS assisted 94 unduplicated clients. One hundred twenty-two grants were issued. Average grant was $430. Top areas of need were: shelter, medical, utilities and home repairs. Additionally, $792 was used to buy 25 fans for residents at Brith Sholom House when the air conditioning broke down. Emergency aid efforts were supported, in part, by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

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: $20,850

A total of 12 women, ranging in age from 34-94, received stipends of $50-$175 per month. Additionally, each of these clients received a $100 gift card from the supermarket of her choice to help with the purchase of Passover food. According to the Federal Poverty Guidelines, half of these women live at or below 100% of the poverty level; the other half live between 101% and 250%. Three households have school age children. This program was funded, in part, by the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia.

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: $12,700

Fifty-five frail, elderly women gained peace of mind with the addition of a personal emergency response system to their telephone equipment, enabling them to remain 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. This program was funded, in 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.

Camp Scholarships: $29,750

FHBS enabled 75 families to send 97 children to 15 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.

Senior Supports/Dental: $17,993

FHBS was awarded the 2007-2008 grant from the Women of Vision Fund of the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia for Senior Supports/Dental Care, an initiative designed to provide major dental services for frail, elderly Jewish women in the Greater Philadelphia area. From September 1, 2007 through August 31, 2008, 37 women were assisted through a $30,000 grant. Twenty-nine dentists worked pro bono or at significantly reduced rates.

J.K. is a 65-year-old, single woman with no family in the area. She worked as a library assistant until seven years ago when she was severely injured. Her monthly income is about $976. She lives in her parents’ home, which is in need of constant repair. In order to remain there, she took a reverse mortgage. J.K. ‘s teeth were in bad condition, and she often suffered pain from infections. FHBS contacted a dentist in her neighborhood and negotiated a courtesy evaluation and fees discounted by 15%. Beyond cleaning and x-rays, J.K. required numerous fillings and extractions as well as an emergency root canal. The final plan included a bridge to replace missing teeth. The client desperately wanted a permanent bridge rather than a removable one, the former being far more expensive. FHBS was willing to pay $1,599.45 of the cost of the bridge. Klein JCC paid the lab fees of $528.50, and the client drew money from her reverse mortgage to cover the balance of $594.20. Cost of total treatment was $2,735.90.