Grants

What We Accomplished In 2016

January 3, 2017 Billy Grants, Thank You, What's Happening? 1 comment

Dear friends,

Happy new year! Our winter campaign has ended and we thought you might like to know how we spent your money in 2016. Here’s the rundown of the grants we made:

1) IsraAID is an Israeli-based humanitarian aid agency that responds to emergency crises and engages in international development around the world. Our grant supported their work with Syrian refugees.

2) Treehouse Shakers provides teacher trainings and residencies for students that focus on the art of dance and storytelling.

3) The American Indian College Fund supports Native student access to higher education. The Jonah Maccabee Foundation believes that every American has a profound responsibility to assist our nation’s indigenous peoples in building whole, healthy lives for themselves and their children.

JMF Gives Shakespeare an Encore

December 29, 2016 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

Once again, The Jonah Maccabee Foundation is thrilled to provide a grant to Mainestage Shakespeare of Kennebunk, Maine. MaineStage Shakespeare is a nonprofit theater company made up of young, passionate theater artists from around the country who believe in the benefits of the resident repertory theater company, actors who can develop their craft together to produce a creative nucleus that enriches their community-at-large. Also, through the MaineStage ShakeSTARS, MSS offers summertime training that combines actor training, theatre fun, and personal growth development that’s so important to for children growing healthy and whole.

Twelfth Night (2015)

The JMF believes passionately in the arts and their potential to help minds and spirits grow. We’re delighted to partner with Mainestage Shakespeare in bringing repertory theatre and arts education to the 23rd state.

Visit Mainestage Shakespeare to learn more. Watch their new video here.

JMF Helps Reduce Stigma Surrounding Suicide

December 28, 2016 Billy Grants No comments

We just donated to Rethink The Conversation’s end-of-year appeal. Won’t you help reframe conversations about mental health and suicide?

Click here for more info or, better yet, click here and make your donation right now!

Thanks!

Thank you for helping us help in Louisiana!

September 6, 2016 Billy Grants No comments

2016.08.LouisianaReliefProject.WebNote Through your generosity, The Jonah Maccabee Foundation was able to forward an incredibly generous grant to Save the Children’s “Gulf Coast Floods Children’s Relief Fund.”

Save the Children has deployed an emergency response team to Baton Rouge to establish Child-Friendly Spaces in emergency shelters and assess children’s most urgent needs in the wake of the severe flooding there and in southeastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi.

Children, being the most vulnerable when disaster strikes, must have their unique needs be addressed from the outset during emergencies. Save the Children has been working closely with long-term local partners to make sure children are protected and cared for amidst the turmoil they and their families are experiencing.

Thank you for your caring hearts and open wallets. If you’d like to see you name in lights (well, as close to “in lights” as we get around these parts, click here).

With humble gratitude,
Ellen, Billy, Katie, Mark and Aiden
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation

JMF Awards Grant to Save Syrian Refugee Children

September 1, 2016 Billy Grants No comments

A dinghy arrives in Lesvos, Greece, on 30th November, with more than 60 Syrian refugees, most of them children.

A dinghy arrives in Lesvos, Greece, on this past November, with more than 60 Syrian refugees, most of them children.

While we continue raising money to help those kids and families whose lives were disrupted by the flooding in Louisiana, so many more families continue to flee terror in Syria. Save the Children has launched a search-and-rescue vessel to provide lifesaving assistance to children and others left adrift — or worse — as they attempt to make the treacherous Mediterranean crossing from North Africa to Italy. The ship hopes to reach up to 20,000 people at risk of drowning over the next fifteen months. On board, a specially-trained team will provide dedicated services (including emotional support) for children (more than 90% of whom arrive in Italy without their parents) and offer medical assistance, food, water and warm clothing for as many as three hundred people.

Thank you for empowering The Jonah Maccabee Foundation to be able to support this life-saving venture.

Ellen, Billy, Katie, Mark and Aiden
The Jonah Maccabee Foundation

JMF Responds to Black Shootings

July 26, 2016 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

We’re all horrified by the unnecessary shootings and deaths of African-Americans who did not present a threat to law enforcement officials. And while we love and support our police departments nationwide, we hope they will do the much-needed work to ensure that the officers who protect us don’t unjustifiably kill us.

Since the Jonah Maccabee Foundation’s mission is to reach out to children, we recently chose to make donations to the Harlem Children’s Zone and the National Black Child Development Institute in response to the recent shootings. These two organizations work every day to train and prepare young African-Americans for future success. Our hope is that their work will help advance for all of us an America where blacks are accepted and respected by all.

Pres. Obama shakes hands with New York City 9th-grader Kiara Molina of the Harlem Children’s Zone Promise Academy (Jan 2014)

Hatred, of course, can never fully be eradicated. But so many good people are doing their part to lessen the scourge of skin-based prejudice — of all prejudice — and we want to be on their team!

We think Jonah would be proud.

JMF makes grant to The Tali Fund

June 10, 2016 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

We’re pleased and honored to support on your behalf the work of The Tali Fund. Established to remember the life of Talia Faith Agler (1985-2012), The Tali Fund provides crucial support to the Talia Agler Girls Shelter in Nairobi, Kenya, in reaching, rescuing, rehabilitating and reintegrating trafficked and abused girls.

Tali Agler

JMF Makes Gift to Danny Siegel’s Mitzvah Work in Israel

May 10, 2016 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

DannySiegel.01 For decades, one of our personal mitzvah heroes, Danny Siegel, has been teaching young people how and where to make an impact with their tzedakah work. This summer, he is returning once again to Israel where he will mentor his newest group of would-be mitzvah heroes.

The Dreskin family has known and admired Danny for many, many years. The Jonah Maccabee Foundation is honored to partner with Danny in his holy work.

JMF Set to Help Syrian Refugees

November 30, 2015 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

According to UNICEF, “seven and a half million children are affected by the brutal four-year-old conflict in Syria.” Their families (if they still have one) worry about the ongoing violence, the destruction of roads, buildings (their homes!), schools, hospitals and vital services like water and sewage.

2 million child refugees whose families have left Syria in search of safe shelter now face the oncoming winter, on top of everything else.

The Jonah Maccabee Foundation is partnering with UNICEF to try and ensure that food, water, education, warm clothing, blankets and so much more get to these kids.

If you’d like to join us, we’ll make sure your donation gets to where it’s needed. You may donate online by clicking here (specify “The Jonah Maccabee Dreskin Social Justice Fund”).

Thanks!

Project Morry Receives Gift from JMF

November 27, 2015 Billy Grants, What's Happening? No comments

We’re so delighted to have awarded a grant from The Jonah Maccabee Foundation to Project Morry, a nonprofit, year-round youth development organization that helps young people from underserved communities in and around New York City to succeed in school and in life. Each year, more than 400 children participate in enriching learning opportunities at summer camp and throughout the school year.

JMF is honored to support Project Morry!