When Joyce, a senior who lives alone, did not leave her home for weeks, her neighbors reached out to Chabad for help. I went to her home and knocked on her door, but she refused to respond. I persisted until she reluctantly answered the door. What I saw was heartbreaking. Joyce was a shell of a human being. There was not an ounce of edible food in the apartment. She was so frightened to leave her house and too ashamed to ask for help. She kept repeating that she just wanted to die.
Chabad arranged for her home to be fully restocked, and has continued to care for Joyce from that moment on.
Joyce is one example of the many individuals and families in our community whom Chabad has helped during COVID-19.
From the day the shutdowns began, the doors of our Center have remained open. We’ve provided food, supplies, medicine and emergency funds. We have mobilized teams of volunteers to provide “essential services” – including shopping, driving, visiting and counseling during these difficult times. For most of the people we help, we are not just their last resort; we are their only resort.
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As the Jewish New Year approaches, I personally wish you and yours a happy, healthy and sweet New Year. I invite you to partner with us in caring for the lives of so many like Joyce.
On behalf of all those being helped through our vital services and programs, can we count on your support?
Please generously donate by clicking here JewishNewport.com/donate.
With warmth, gratitude, and blessings for a Shana Tova,
Rabbi Reuven Mintz
P.S. We would like to honor the memory of your dearly departed loved one(s) on Yom Kippur by paying tribute to them and by mentioning their names by the Torah at our Yizkor Memorial Service. Please send us their names on our Yizkor page by clicking here.