Abilities
Center

Metro

WISHING ALL OUR FRIENDS A HAPPY,
HEALTHY NEW YEAR! THANK YOU FOR
YOUR CONTINUING SUPPORT.

A Helping Hand from page 60

2075 E. West Maple Suite B-204
Walled Lake, Michigan 48390
WWW.ABILITIESCENTER.COM
248.926.0909

1020790

Wishing a
Healthy &Happy

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New Year to
All our Friends
and Customers

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248-681-6460

Mike helps his grandmother ' s friend and his grandmother Aleksandra

load groceries into his car.

• 3021 Orchard Lake • Keego Harbor

FMiy Ow 4 4 b4e4

F OUP

30 Y

1019370

SINCE 1966

TARNOW DOORS

Henry Tarnow and the Staff
of Tarnow Doors wishes everyone a
Happy, Healthy New Year!

L'Shana Tova Tikateva

Finding Their Way

Visit Our Showroom at 23701 Halsted Rd. Just S. of Grand River

248-478-9060

1017480

L's&znafi IJovah!

J-Cayy

ew Year

Wishing you and yours a very
joyous and prosperous New Year

from
Mayor Brenda L. Lawrence
City of Southfield

We wish our family & friends a very
healthy, happy and sweet New Year.

62

answering phones and counting
change brought to the agency in
Yad Ezra tzedakah boxes.
"I've seen people who come to
Yad Ezra fresh from a divorce or
during a long unemployment;'
Saginaw said. "Several times I've
seen people I knaw come
through who, at one time, made a
nice living, but sickness knocked
them off their feet and they
ended up needing some help."
On Sundays, volunteers from
area synagogues make deliveries
to about 60 homebound client
families a month.

m 0

While many hear about Yad Ezra
from other clients, referrals also
come from Jewish Family
Service, area clergy, social service
agencies and other organizations.
One new client was identified
when accompanying a pre-bar
mitzvah child who was volun-
teering.
"We also had a previous donor
call and say, `My husband's com-
pany has downsized and we need
to come see you;" Luger said.
Smith has seen a change
among the clients through the
years. "In the beginning, I saw a
lot of younger new Americans;'
she said. "Later, they brought
their elderly parents here. After a
while, they didn't need to come
here anymore but many of their
parents still are."
"When I moved to the United
States from Russia with my fami-
ly 11 years ago, we didn't speak
English and we were all clients of

Yad Ezra for about six months,"
said Mike, 29, of Oak Park. "Then
my parents and I learned to
speak English and we were able
to get work."
But not so for many elderly
new Americans. So Mike still
comes to Yad Ezra once a month
with. his grandmother
Aleksandra and her friend, who
do not speak English and are
current clients. "They are helping
me with my food;' Aleksandra
said in Russian, translated by her
grandson. "It is very important
that it is here for me."
As a totally independent
agency Yad Ezra is not under the
umbrella of any Jewish or gov-
ernmental institution, so it relies
completely on individual contri-
butions and family foundations
for its revenue.
While many families, organiza-
tions and synagogues donate
food to Yad Ezra, most of what is
distributed is purchased with
monetary contributions.
"We can buy the food at a bet- .
ter price;' Luger said simply. "We
know where to go to buy a food
and toiletry package for a small
family for approximately $30 that
retails at the supermarket for

$71."

Working with a specific list of
items needed for each distribu-
tion, Ryke spends a lot of her
time on the phone — and shop-
ping.
Much of Yad Ezra's distribu-
tions come from Gleaners
Community Food Bank of
Southeastern Michigan, whose
items are either sold to them at

September 29 2005 J