Posted on March 2, 2012
Sharon and I just returned from Yeshivat Noam where we launched the 3rd year of Helping Organizations Provide Essentials or H.O.P.E., our Jewish Teen Philanthropy Program. Areyvut has been developing and implementing these programs for several years. The caliber of all the groups and program participants we have worked with has been high but it is clear from Session #1 that this years group is unique.
We had a lot to accomplish and were concerned that we would need to cut one of the activities but we were able to address everything. We introduced ourselves, explained how the program works, addressed the differences between philanthropy, volunteering and charity, explained what a mission statement is and how it relates to the budget, looked at a program budget and an agency budget…and did that all in an interactive, engaging and fun way in 40 minutes. Impressive? Not as impressive as the program participants.
I look forward to working with the participants and school leadership and am thrilled that Areyvut is able to run this program. It is the only one of its kind in NJ and one of only a few Jewish Teen Philanthropy Programs based in Jewish day schools. From this initial session, it is clear to me that we will achieve a great deal with this group and the impact of this program will extend well beyond the check presentation.
