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BUICK
Congress Takes Notice
shopping," Luger said. "Focus Hope also
was willing to customize these packages
Because Yad Ezra is an independent
to meet our dietary needs."
agency, it has had to find creative ways
Yad Ezra also joined A Small Miracle,
to continue support for their clients and
a group that customizes Chanukah gifts
their changing needs.
for children from impover-
"We learned to think out-
ished Jewish families. And,
side the box," Luger says.
in 1999, Yad Ezra stepped
In 1999, it attracted the
Joshua Mansour, 12,
into
the lunch assistance
attention of the U.S.
of Farmington packs
program.
Congress. Food stamps were
eggs at the old Yad
It learned that children
reduced nationwide for
Ezra. Behind him
from impoverished Jewish
immigrants and refugees. In
is Mark Shaw of
families were unable to
the Detroit area, Yad. Ezra,
West Bloomfield.
participate in school hot
along with the Jewish
Both
are
volunteers.
lunch
programs. With their
Federation of Metropolitan
own
funds
and a grant
Detroit, was one of the first
from the Max M. Fisher
groups in the country to
Foundation, Yad Ezra provided some
devise a plan, Luger says. Jewish organi-
food for these children at Yeshiva Beth
zations joined together with Yad Ezra to
could create a safety net for people, espe- Yehudah in Southfield and Oak Park
and at Yeshiva Gedolah in Oak Park.
cially immigrants, in jeopardy of losing
The day schools insured the confiden-
their food stamps and their housing, she
tiality of the recipients.
adds.
Yad Ezra's 2002 operating budget is
The General Accounting Office heard
$820,000; the majority is from individ-
about it, visited Yad Ezra's facilities and
ual contributions, Luger said.
wrote to U.S. Sen. Christopher Dodd,
D-Conn., that Yad Ezra was a great
model for other communities.
Passionate Volunteers
To get the maximum aid for their
What's the key to the agency's success?
clients with the least amount of stress,
Attracting
volunteers, says Ryke. "Since
Yad Ezra also has partnered with other
the
beginning,
volunteers of all ages and
groups.
backgrounds
have
participated."
"When we learned that 77 of our
Current president of the board,Andy
families qualified for food assistance
Zack of Huntington Woods says,
from [Detroit's] Focus Hope, Yad Ezra
"What's extraordinary about Yad Ezra
arranged for those packages to be deliv-
that it's sustained by hundreds of volun-
ered to our warehouse, creating one-stop