ta) T his Wee

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Success Spawns
Growing Pains

New Yad Ezra executive director vows to
make the charity more efficient.

DAVID ZEMAN STAFF WRITER

hen Ellen Goldman was first contacted
about heading Yad Ezra, the kosher food
bank in Oak Park, she expected to hear
dire tales of a charity on the brink.
"Many times, a charity is looking for a new execu-
tive director because it's a sinking ship," Ms. Goldman
chuckled.
What she found instead was a bustling enterprise
with a problem of another sort.
"I was told when I was interviewing that Yad Ezra
had never expected to grow so fast," she said. "They
were constantly in a reactive situation because every-
thing was moving and growing so quickly."
The charity's success has been -a both a blessing and
a curse, as Ms. Goldman, who took over as executive
director in June, soon discovered.
Since its inception in 1990, Yad Ezra has grown from
serving about 200 financially strapped Jewish families
a month to serving nearly 1,000.
It has garnered lavish praise and hundreds of vol-
unteers for its kosher food program. And donations
have risen impressively as word of its mission spread.
This year, Yad Ezra's budget is expected to rise to rough-
ly $500,000, a 25 percent increase over 1994.
"I was beyond impressed," Ms. Goldman said of her
first visit to the charity. "I was in awe of this organi-
zation."
But, perhaps inevitably, Yad Ezra's success also has
spawned growing pains.
The Jewish News has learned that in 1994, the most
recent year for which financial records are available,
more than 30 percent of Yad Ezra's budget went to pay
administrative, payroll and fund-raising costs. Less
than 70 percent of its budget went toward its food-ser-
vice program.
While these numbers are within the accepted guide-
lines of charity watchdog groups, the percentage of mon-
ey directed toward program services is well below that
of some other prominent food banks in the area.
The Food Bank of Oakland County, for instance,
spent 95 percent of its budget on program services in
1994, according to Jim Macy, its executive director.
In Detroit, Gleaners Community Food Bank spent
roughly 87 percent of its budget on program services
over the same period, said President Gene Gonya.
Yad Ezra's booming popularity has appeared to
overwhelm its small staff in other ways as well.
Until recently, the nonprofit group had not filed an-
nual financial reports with the Michigan Secretary of
State's Charitable Trust Section since 1992, a misde-
meanor punishable by a possible fine and jail time.
The charity also had not renewed its charitable so- C.C)
licitation license since 1992, another violation of state Cr)
law.
Ms. Goldman sent in the tardy financial documents
only last week. "In the future," she promised, "I don't
expect any more gaps."
What she does expect, and what she said she has
been working on since taking the helm, is improving
efficiency while preserving the charity's unique posi-
tion in the community.
"My biggest challenge is making this a little more of 3

NV

Programs For Disabled:
Hard To Find, Building Slowly

DAVID ZEMAN STAFF WRITER

ver since her 3-year-old Jewish children is one
son was diagnosed with of the first problems
autism last summer, Ms. Kaczander tackled
Carolyn Morris of West as director several
Bloomfield has been years ago.
"I don't think it's
looking for programs to
make Sammy feel a part something the Jewish
of the Jewish community. The effort community is doing on
has been frustrating, and exhaust- purpose," she said. "Per-
haps there have just
ing.
"How many people do you have to been other priorities.
People are concerned
talk to before you talk to the right per-
about
Israel or housing
son?" Ms. Morris sighed recently as
she cuddled with her cheerful, tow- the homeless or feeding
headed son in the family living room. the hungry, and unless
The search has taken Ms. Morris you have a disabled per-
and her husband Michael to summer son in your own family, Top: Michael and Carolyn abled youngsters.
"My experience is that
Morris want the best for
camps, day schools and swimming it just may not be some- their
autistic son, Sammy.
the
community wants to do
thing
most
people
are
programs. But in each case, for a va-.
the
right thing," Ms.
aware
of."
riety of reasons, the programs were
Above: Benjamin and
Kaczander
said. "Most of
But
Ms.
Kaczander,
unable to accommodate Sammy, the
Sammy Morris: Learning
the time, I don't think the
who
has
a
disabled
couple said.
Jewish values.
camp or the school wants to
The Morrises suspect they are not child of her own, is also
cut you off. I think they're
alone. "There's not one single Jewish frustrated by such com-
willing
to
listen, but quite often no
plaints.
children's charity for kids with spe-
She notes that there are a growing one has approached them before."
cial needs," Carolyn Morris said. The
She cited her own experience with
couple believes that other Jewish number of programs for disabled chil-
families are quietly suffering the dren from Jewish families, but par- her 16-year-old son Robbie, who has
a rare genetic disease that has left
ents remain unaware of them.
same disappointment.
him
with cerebral palsy and severe
And
while
she
concedes
that
many
Their exasperation is familiar to
mental
retardation.
schools
and
camps
have
no
specific
Carol Kaczander, director of the Jew-
Robbie
has participated in sports
program
for
physically
or
mentally
ish Information and Referral Service.
programs
at
the Jewish Community
disabled
children,
educators
are
of-
The dearth of programs for disabled
ten willing to find ways to include dis- DISABLED page 10

E

CT)

GROWING PAINS page 20