Hanukkah is a time for giving, and this year we are celebrating with “Gelt for Good,” an opportunity to shine light on beloved nonprofit organizations. We are donating a small gift of gelt to these organizations, and featuring them here and on our Facebook page.
These are the groups we’re celebrating:
Asheville City Schools Foundation, nominated by Melissa Cole Essig who says, “I support the Asheville City Schools Foundation because they work tirelessly to support our public schools and especially our at-risk kids. Among the many, many things they do: Racial Equity grants, teaching grants, grants for arts education, college scholarships, IRL afterschool program at Asheville Middle School gives kids a fun place to be after school and keeps them focused, and advocacy to protect and support public schools in the face of legislative action harming them.”
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, nominated by Mara Alexander “because they put their funding towards childhood cancer research for new treatments, research designed to improve the quality of life and care as children battle cancer, and resources for the expenses families face when traveling for childhood cancer treatment. The Asheville JCC puts much of its resources into working with and caring for our children. Donating to childhood cancer research would be very much in line with that goal/theme.”
Asheville Design Center, which was nominated by Lee Ann Bubrowski of Charlotte Street Computers. She says, “Over the last several years, Charlotte Street Computers has worked closely with Executive Director Chris Joyell to build parks in the Klondyke and Pisgah View Communities, and currently on the Outdoor Learning Center at Hall Fletcher Elementary.The initiative to bring these play spaces to the community was spearheaded by Charlotte Street Computers’ CEO Jennifer Mayer, and Chris and the ADC team have been an invaluable asset in bringing that dream into reality. Mr. Joyell and the ADC staff work tirelessly for the people of Asheville, utilizing a community-driven design process to create better design solutions. Our community is a better place to work and live in as a result of their ongoing efforts. Please help us shine light on the good work of this deserving nonprofit.”
Helpmate, nominated by Carolyn Maillis who says, “We do not give gifts to each other for Hanukkah, but to give to nonprofits.”
Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity, nominated by Ellen Carr who says, “I have been involved with the Asheville Area Habitat for Humanity for many years. It has been one the most rewarding efforts of my life. The organization is run so efficiently but with such compassion for the home recipients. These people have lived in unsafe, substandard housing until acquiring a Habitat house. These are homes they can afford because the mortgage payments are much less than conventional loans would be.They are able to live in thriving Habitat communities where they feel safe and welcome. There is no greater joy than to see the faces of families being handed the keys to their new homes.
I hope you will consider a gift to Habitat this year in honor of Lew Kraus, who has been its executive director since its inception and who is retiring at the beginning of next year.
Lone Soldier Center in Memory of Michael Levin, nominated by Tami Gross who says, “This charity is near and dear to me for many reasons. It provides support to ‘lone soldiers’ (any soldier whose parents do not reside in Israel or whose parents do reside in Israel but do not support the soldier) before, during and after their service. My son was a lone soldier (now an ex-lone soldier as he still serves in the reserves when called up). This center was also founded in memory of a dear family friend who lost his life in the ‘Second Lebanon War’ in 2006. In support of this fund, I also travel to Israel in March (four out of the past five years) to raise money by running in the Jerusalem Half-Marathon alongside Judah.”
MANNA FoodBank, nominated by Maria Adcock who says, “Hunger and food insecurity are major problems for our state, as we rank 9th in the US as having higher household rates than the US average.”
KaSeZ – FoR – KiDz, nominated by Alex Reich, whose mitzvah project is supporting this group by collecting gently used/new suitcases to be given to DSS for children in foster care.
