For the eighth year in a row,
Higher Hopes! will be provid-
ing 1,000 Detroit-area fami-
lies full Thanksgiving meals
through its “1,000 Turkeys,
10,000 Smiles” program. The
kits contain everything from
the turkey to all the sides and
dessert, and provide enough
food to feed 12 to 16 peo-
ple. Giving families the ability
to celebrate the holidays with
loved ones in their own home
is at the core of the Higher
Hopes! mission.
In addition to the
Thanksgiving meal program,
Higher Hopes! continues to
support 1,000 families with
monthly meal kits, each con-
taining 35-45 lbs. of fresh,
nutritious foods. These go to
families who have children
enrolled in Early Head Start
Child Care Programs. The
kits contain proteins such as
chicken, pork or beef, fresh,
frozen and canned fruits and
vegetables, grains like pasta
and cereal, milk, eggs, fruit
juice and more.
“Higher Hopes! Heroes
invest time and money to
provide households with
access to sufficient, nutritious
food,” says Higher Hopes!
founder Bill Birndorf. “This is
accomplished through collab-
orations, efficient operations,
education and innovative solu-
tions to battle hunger in the
Metro Detroit area. The faces
of hunger may surprise you.
Many who need assistance
are middle-class families, the
working poor, children and
the elderly.”
Higher Hopes!, a registered
501(c)(3) charity, continues to
fight the battle against hunger
for the community’s most
vulnerable children and their
families.
Corporate and indi-
vidual contributions are
always welcome and can
be made at www.higher-
hopesdetroit.org or at the
Facebook page at www.
facebook.com/pages/Higher-
Hopes/351220508366604.
Bill
Birndorf
The recently passed federal
infrastructure bill will pour a trillion
dollars into fixing and upgrading
the country’s failing transportation
systems.
Thanks to one part of it, the bill will
also put a few million into fixing up
the country’s synagogues, religious
schools and nonprofits.
The Nonprofit Energy Efficiency
Act will allow houses of worship
and nonprofits to apply for grants to
increase the energy efficiency of their
buildings. A total of $50 million will be
allocated to the effort, overseen by the
Department of Energy, with each entity
eligible for a grant of up to $200,000.
The legislation was supported by the
Orthodox Union as well as a number
of other religious organizations.
“We are very grateful to bipartisan
leaders and the many rank and file
lawmakers who worked to ensure
this key provision ultimately was
included in this legislative package,”
Nathan Diament, the Orthodox
Union’s director of public policy, said
in a statement. “The creation of the
Nonprofit Energy Efficiency Act will
help our foundational institutions
become more environmentally
sound and enable them to expand
their offerings through energy cost
savings.” (JTA.org)
The U.S. Department of Justice it has
reached a settlement with the Michigan
Department of Corrections last week
to change the state’s policy regarding
religious activities for prisoners, as well
Jewish inmates’ kosher diet.
Under the agreement, Michigan
corrections will no longer required a
minimum of five people for religious
services or activities. Also, Jewish
inmates who do not eat a kosher diet all
year can still qualify to receive kosher
food for Passover.
State Alters Prison
Religious Rules
56 | NOVEMBER 18 • 2021
Infrastructure Bill Provides Aid to Synagogues
SPOTLIGHT
Higher Hopes! 8th Annual
Thanksgiving Program