Sunshine Circle of Southwest Broward, Florida, has delivered hundreds of prepared meals and necessities to Holocaust survivors and home-bound seniors.
By Anash.org reporter
Chabad of Southwest Broward, Florida, under the auspices of Rabbi Pinny and Gitty Andrusier‘s “Sunshine Circle”‘ has been busy as ever.
“Being shluchim in Florida,” said Rabbi Pinny, “where a large part of the population is seniors, isolation and loneliness in a time like this is tremendous. I’ve been a shliach here for over 28 years, and have never seen anything this hard for the seniors – it’s harder then any hurricane we’ve had.
“I got an e-mail just yesterday, from a couple in our community that only had only eggs and apples left in their fridge and needed the cops to go out and shop for them.”
Run by Rabbi Shimon and Liba Andrusier, shluchim of Chabad of Century Village in Pembroke Pines, FL, “Sunshine Circle” has been serving Seniors in South Broward for over six years.
‘Project Connect!’ started nearly three weeks ago, serving hundreds of holocaust survivors and seniors in quarantine with no family nearby. Its mission is to combat loneliness, provide friendship, prepared meals, basic necessities and be an anchor for them.
“We started ‘Project Connect!’ after getting many calls from seniors and their children all over the world, asking us to help their parents,” Rabbi Shimon shared. “Some are in need of prepared meals, since their home health aids have left them, some are extremely lonely and depressed and wanting some connection and some have run out of basic necessities like toilet paper, paper towels, Tylenol or water.”
“I got a call from Rachel K., a 92 year-old Holocaust survivor in our Village, who just lost her husband a few months ago,” Liba reported, “and her words to me were: ‘Rebbetzin, this is like another Holocaust!’ Since her call, we have been sending prepared meals, homemade cards by kids, had a therapist from the JFS call her to chat and been making sure that she is getting daily calls from our volunteers.”
Thanks to Aroma Kosher Market of Cooper City, who donated the prepared meals and Ness Paper who donated cases of gloves, toilet paper and paper towels and to the countless volunteers who signed up to do calls, grocery shopping and donated, the shluchim have been able to meet most of the seniors needs that have been reaching out.
Next Wednesday, the plan is to deliver over 100 “Seder-to-Go” Packages with two Seder meals, Wine, Grape Juice, Matzah and the Kaara, but many of the seniors cannot afford these packages. YOU can help out from wherever you are in the world and call homebound Holocaust survivors and lonely seniors or donate towards the cause.
To get involved, volunteer, donate and be a part of it, please go to www.sunshinecirclefl.com or www.chabadswb.com.