metro >> mentsh of the month

Helping Needy Children

Volunteer works hard to guarantee clothing, supplies for Detroit students.

I

Stacy Gittleman

Contributing Writer

M

any of Detroit's poorest chil-
dren live in unstable family
situations where they have little
control of their lives. Because of frequent
moves and complicated custody arrange-
ments, the school they left in June may
not be the same school they return to in
September.
This, compounded with the recent
announcement that Detroit may need to
shutter 26 of its public schools by 2015,
further magnifies those back-to-school
jitters for Detroit children and their fami-
lies.
To offset the financial burden that
comes with the first day of school, the
National Council of Jewish Women
Greater Detroit Section will launch the
"Back 2 School Store a one-day exclu-
sive boutique. Open for business on Aug.
10, it will help more than 200 children
selected by collaborating social agencies
like the Detroit Rescue Ministry Mission
by giving them a chance to "shop" for a
brand new set of clothing, shoes, a coat
and a backpack filled with school and
personal care supplies.
A personal shopper volunteer will
assist them through the store while par-
ents and guardians will have the oppor-

Sharyn Gallatin, co-chair of NCJW's Back 2 School store, sorts through a bag of
winter hats for school children.

tunity to sit down and talk with a social
worker or DTE for energy assistance.
Sharyn Gallatin of West Bloomfield
had barely unpacked her new house after
moving with her husband and two chil-
dren from Bergen County, N.J., before
she decided to co-chair the project with
Beverly Stone, also of West Bloomfield.
For about a year now, Gallatin never

Thumbs up for
quality cleaning
at an affordable
price!

a

IN-HOME CLEANING
4 ROOMS $99 99

2 ROOMS $59

99

7' SOFA $5999

OR 2 CHAIRS

some restrictions apply

da

I

It's time to relax, knowing you can
afford the best in caring for your
carpet, rugs or furniture. Hagopian
offers top-notch, trustworthy service
that's reasonably priced.

Call or visit us online today!

1-800-HAGOPIAN

(424-6742)
www.originalhagopian.com

RUG CLEANING

2

FOR

Bring your rugs to any of our
drop-off centers and we'll
clean every other one FREE!

Ask about our expert
rug repair!

HAGOPIAN

Expect the Best... Expect the Purple Truck!

Oak Park • Birmingham
Novi • Utica • Ann Arbor

1893350

20 June 19 • 2014

leaves home without a filing folder con-
taining all the paperwork and records
necessary to carry out the logistics of
such an ambitious project.
There are purchase orders from cloth-
ing vendors and records of pre-selected
children who will shop at the store that
include details on their clothing measure-
ments, right down to the size sneaker
they might be fitting into by fall.
"For that one hour when they visit this
store, these kids will have control," said
Gallatin, who stressed that the store is
not open to the public. "They can pick
out a brand new set of clothing and fill
up a new backpack with school supplies.
I wanted to work on this project to add
brightness to their lives:'
Providing 250 children with brand
new clothing and school supplies meant
that Gallatin and her 100 volunteers had
to hit the pavement with some serious
fundraising efforts. They joined Art Van
Furniture's $1 million online charity chal-
lenge, which runs through June 23. Fifty
nonprofit organizations are competing to
win a $75,000 grand prize or nine other
prizes ranging in the tens of thousands
of dollars, based on the dollars they raise
and the unique visits they receive on
their own fundraising website. To donate
to the store, go to the NCJW website at
https://www.crowdrise.com/ncjwgds-avf.

cated to the area just two years ago. She
said that after living in the area for just a
short time, all the misgivings and the bad
image Detroit receives outside the state
"vanished:'
"I cannot think of a better place to live,
or a better organization than NCJW to get
involved with:'
In the Garden State, Gallatin worked
tirelessly on many committees for the
Jewish Federation of Northern New
Jersey. She and her husband, Alan, were
bestowed with its community service
award for their philanthropy.
"The Federation in New Jersey touched
our lives because they helped us in cop-
ing with our son, who has special needs,"
Gallatin said. "It was important to me to
count my blessings and give back to the
community, no matter in which commu-
nity I reside:'
After a few months of volunteering for
the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan
Detroit, she was approached by members
of NCJW who "enthusiastically encour-
aged" her to volunteer for the store, which
Gallatin describes as a "labor of love:'

Aiding School Kids

According to Sue Simon, a volunteer on
the project and immediate NCJW past
president, Detroit is only the fourth
NCJW section in the nation to offer such
a service to underprivileged children.
"The project is the embodiment of
everything that NCJW strives to do —
and that is to positively affect the lives of
women and children:' Simon said.
According to Rachel Williams, devel-
opment specialist at Detroit Rescue
Ministry Mission, the store will fulfill the
needs of children, many of them who live
in single-family households where even a
new toothbrush or a box of crayons may
be a financial burden.
"On the first day of school, we see
many of our children lacking many
basics:' Williams said, adding that
many parents of those selected for the
store are on a path of recovery from
substance abuse addiction. "There are
so many barriers [to success] stacked
against these children even before they
reach kindergarten. When we can form a
partnership with agencies like NCJW, it
serves the heart of our program, which
is looking out for the children. They are
our future:'

❑

Tireless Volunteer
Gallatin believes in giving back to the
Jewish community no matter where she
lives. A native of New Jersey, she relo-

To volunteer to set up or work the store as

personal shoppers and shoe fitters, call the

NCJW office at (248) 355-3300, ext. 4.