Helping more people in need
The Financial Assistance Fund will provide direct cash grants and payments or vouchers for essential living expenses including accommodation, groceries, petrol and other essentials
MORE people in the Jewish community will be able to access financial help following JCA and JewishCare’s launch of a new assistance fund.
Following the success of the COVID-19 Jewish Emergency Relief Fund (JERF) which has assisted more than 100 individuals and families to the tune of almost $400,000, the Financial Assistance Fund was launched on July 1.
The new fund represents an amalgamation of the JERF and JewishCare’s previous general financial support fund, the Chai Foundation – a Lowy family initiative.
It will provide direct cash grants and payments or vouchers for essential living expenses, including accommodation, groceries, petrol and other essentials. All financial support is subject to a financial assessment.
“JewishCare is proud to have been funded to provide direct financial support to community members in financial crisis,” JewishCare president Jason Sandler said.
“While our staff and volunteers will continue to provide all our current levels of support, the partnership with JCA to establish the Financial Assistance Fund will enable us to help even more people at a time when they need it most.”
JCA president Stephen Chipkin said bringing the funds together makes the administration simpler and deepens the pot.
“The object here is that more people get more help,” he said.
“The fund has gone from $1 million to $1.2 million over the next financial year, and it will now include a sightly wider group of people who wouldn’t necessarily have qualified under COVID.
“The other good thing to note about JewishCare’s service is their provision of financial planning assistance, to get people on a track where they can manage their finances better.”
He added, “I express my gratitude to the donors that have made this possible, and to JewishCare.”
JewishCare has also partnered with Blooms Pharmacy in Eastgate Bondi Junction, who have generously offered a donation which JewishCare will use to provide no gap PBS medications for clients on a full pension with concession cards. The current scheme will be trialled until the end of September 2020.
Blooms pharmacy owner Bobby Afshari, who purchased the business with his wife in March this year, said it had previously made an annual donation to JewishCare.
“I’m an Iranian Jew,” he said.
“Our clientele are predominately of Jewish Russian background so we though how else to get in touch with our community than team up with JewishCare.
“We’re looking to see what other services and offerings we can implement in order to help the JewishCare clientele.”
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