Dear friends,
Last week, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa’s Board of Directors approved additional emergency allocations. This remains an ongoing and active process. As agencies submit requests, they are immediately vetted by the Grants and Evaluation Committee and ultimately brought forward for approval to Federation’s Board of Directors. Federation’s latest allocations include:
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$133,375 for Camp B’nai Brith of Ottawa (CBB) – to help with the added COVID costs of creating a safe and healthy environment for staff and campers. These funds are a backstop for CBB, cautiously hoping the government will greenlight camps this summer, with the understanding that none of these funds will be spent before this happens.
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$106,000 for Torah Day School of Ottawa and $63, 909 for Ottawa Jewish Community School – this is continued funding for extra staff costs, technology support and cleaning costs to keep students and staff in the healthiest and safest possible environment.
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$14,457 for Supplementary Schools – each school has slightly different needs, including increased subsidies and technology needs for distance learning.
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$9,526 for Tamir – similar to earlier funding, these dollars will be used for equipment to keep Tamir residents mentally and physically strong.
To date, the Jewish Federation of Ottawa has allocated over $2.2 Million to meet emergency needs, with $800,000 set aside for additional specific needs, should they be required. This is in addition to regular annual allocations, microgrants and the innovation fund for capacity building.
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In my next Shabbat message, I will share a detailed breakdown of allocations, but today I want to say thank you.
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Thank you to the outstanding generosity of donors to the Emergency Campaign for Community Resilience. If you have not yet made a gift and are in a position to do so, every dollar helps.
- Thank you to my Federation colleagues and our Board of Directors for their careful fiscal prudence, sacrifice (many on the Federation team took a temporary wage reduction) and savings that allow us to deploy resources where they are needed most.
- Thank you to our partner agencies who have been diligent about applying for other sources of funding and transparently communicating with us, allowing Federation to consistently repurpose funds.
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When Federation launched the Emergency Campaign for Community Resilience in April 2020, there were many unknowns, including the pandemic’s time length. With the second year of the pandemic set to begin, Federation leadership has been working tirelessly, stretching and leveraging all available resources to meet a second and unexpected year of emergency needs.
We should all take enormous pride in the constant efforts of community organizations to creatively offer new services. A good example is Jewish Family Services, which recently announced a new grocery shopping and delivery program, JCART. This program is aimed at helping seniors get their groceries and other essential items, including medications delivered right to their door. The cost for accessing this program is $15/order. For more information, including if you cannot afford the $15 fee, please contact Ranit Braun at 613-722-2225 ext. 411.
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As part of its 50th-anniversary celebrations, on March 3rd at 4 pm, the Ottawa Jewish Community Foundation is hosting Naomi Azrieli who will be sharing thoughts on family, resiliency, and philanthropy. The Azrieli Foundation is one of the preeminent foundations in Canada, whose broad range of influence and work includes supporting Holocaust education and Holocaust survivors in Ottawa. Naomi is brilliant, articulate, passionate and engaging and I hope you can join us for this inspiring program. Register here.
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In addition, in advance of International Women’s Day, Federation is absolutely delighted to offer our second session in the
J-Fellows speakers series, with a focus on "Jewish Women Leaders and the Power of Resilience," on Thursday, March 4th. This is an opportunity to network and connect with local women leaders as they discuss the resiliency skills that have helped them navigate the highs and lows of this past year (full disclosure I am honoured to be one of the panelists). Registration is free and limited so that the group can connect. Register here.
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To conclude, a short reflection on Purim. Learning of Haman’s evil plot against the Jews, Mordechai’s appeal to Esther is that a Jew who is in a position to make a difference has a responsibility to do so. Our actions matter because there are always others counting on us. We may not all have the influence of Esther, but we all have the power to make a difference, in big and small ways. Let us exercise that power to help others.
Shabbat Shalom and Chag Purim Sameach,
Andrea
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P.S. Yasher Koach to JET on their record-setting Mishloach Manot deliveries this year – 1,200!
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