Recent studies indicate that up to 80,000 Holocaust survivors are living today in the United States — and more than 30,000 are living at or near the federal poverty level. The support these survivors receive does not allow them to afford what they need in order to live a dignified life. Many are choosing between heat or food, medicine or rent. Others have dire living conditions because they do not have the funds needed to repair their homes.
In March 2019, Seed the Dream Foundation in partnership with KAVOD-Ensuring Dignity for Holocaust Survivors launched a national initiative to support thousands of Holocaust survivors across the United States. Recognizing the importance of reaching any survivor regardless of where they live, Seed the Dream Foundation collaborated with KAVOD to establish the KAVOD Survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund (SHEF).
Seed the Dream Foundation has committed the substantial amount of funding necessary to launch this effort — and more than 15 philanthropists and foundations have quickly joined a coalition of national partners to set SHEF in motion for the second half of 2019.
All KAVOD SHEF funds will be directed toward emergency services, specifically to address the following urgent and critical needs: dental, vision, medical, emergency home services (utilities, home repairs, rent support) and food.
KAVOD SHEF funds will be utilized quickly, with few restrictions, to address unmet emergency needs of survivors in partner cities, including Kansas City, where this special initiative launched in August.
KAVOD SHEF exponentially multiplies the dollars (and critical services) directly aiding survivors. Leveraging the funds raised through a special philanthropic national matching initiative, KAVOD will work with over 15 designated communities across the United States to bring millions of additional dollars into this space over two years, serving as a secondary resource to what is already in place. In Kansas City, thanks to the generosity of local donors, $30,000 is available for this initiative due to a local match of $15,000.
“The survivors’ unmet needs far outweigh the resources available to cover these emergency services, it is for this reason that we launched this initiative and are prepared to continue matching every dollar raised on the national level — even if we exceed our original goals,” said Marcy Gringlas, president and co-founder of Seed the Dream Foundation. “It is our hope that KAVOD SHEF will be far reaching, and allow survivors across the country to have access to these critical services.
“Every day we lose more than 40 Holocaust survivors, and yet every day we continue to see hundreds of new requests for care. There is no time to waste.”
Talia Kaplan, executive director of Seed the Dream Foundation, said, “Seed the Dream Foundation is committed to working with our partners across the country to create a collective communal response and bring most-needed attention to address this silent crisis.”
JFS’ Director of Older Adult Services Laura Gilman said this initiative would have a significant impact on the lives of local Holocaust survivors.
“Jewish Family Services of Greater Kansas City is honored by the opportunity to participate in this incredible collaboration,” she said. “We look forward to utilizing these new funds to provide support to our survivors around their most pressing day-to-day needs including medical, dental and housing-related expenses. Thanks to Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, KAVOD and Seed the Dream for including JFSKC and our amazing community of survivors. We’re always able to effect greater change when we work together.”
Derek Gale, director of community building for Jewish Federation of Greater Kansas City, said they are pleased to be able to support JFSKC’s ongoing and deepening partnership with KAVOD, an important organization working on behalf of Holocaust survivors, and to support the community’s leveraging KAVOD’s survivors of the Holocaust Emergency Fund.
“Thanks to KAVOD and Seed the Dream Foundation, Kansas City will access matching funds over the next few months to meet the urgent needs of our local survivors, helping them to receive critical care and to live in dignity. We are grateful for these partnerships, and will continue to do everything we can for survivors,” Gale said.
To ensure greater access to survivors, marketing of the KAVOD SHEF initiative will include a national phone hotline. The KAVOD SHEF hotline allows survivors who are not in contact with their local agencies to have a place to call to begin the process of gaining support. The KAVOD SHEF hotline is 720-295-8484.
KAVOD Ensuring Dignity for Holocaust Survivors is an organization that is making a massive impact for Holocaust survivors living in or near poverty in the United States. KAVOD was created in the fall of 2015 when the founders, John and Amy Israel Pregulman, learned that one-third of the up to 80,000 survivors living in the U.S. struggle with day-to-day basic needs when there is an emergency situation. Sometimes their life is in constant chaos; it seemed unbelievable.
“We still get looks of dismay every time we share these numbers. We get asked time and time again how this is possible and why is this happening?” said John Pregulman.
In the four years that KAVOD has operated, close to 1,600 Holocaust survivors in communities in the United States have been supported. It is KAVOD’s mission to meet these courageous people exactly where they are and offer them genuine compassion and love, so they can feel relief in the most dignified way. KAVOD offers more than aid for groceries and household necessities. KAVOD offers community, connection and the very real sensation of feeling valued.
“The issue is not going away and is not dwindling. Our survivors are getting older and are having bigger financial stresses,” said Amy Israel Pregulman, executive director of KAVOD. “We only have a few years left with these courageous individuals and we feel it is our responsibility to take care of them and offer them peace in their final years. They have been through enough and as a humane community, we are responsible.”
For more information about KAVOD SHEF, visit kavodensuringdignity.com.