Feb 15, 2013

Federation Support Helping Impoverished Seniors in Former Soviet Union

Imagine being frail, elderly and destitute, suffering from illness and isolation, and struggling to survive under some of the most adverse social, political, economic and climatic conditions in the world. That is the very real situation faced by people throughout the former Soviet Union (FSU) each day.

Fortunately, a lifeline exists for thousands of impoverished Jewish seniors in the FSU. The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (JDC), an overseas partner of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation and a recipient of annual funding from the Federation/UJA Campaign, provides critical humanitarian aid to nearly 160,000 elderly Jews in 2,681 locations across the FSU through 161 Hesed relief centers and other entities.

Hesed is a Hebrew word denoting loving kindness, compassion and aid – a concept deeply rooted in Jewish tradition. In the FSU, the JDC’s Hesed program comprises a network of centers that provide a wide range of essential social services, both onsite and in clients’ homes, and serve as a lifeline to the most vulnerable. Amidst the hardship and distress facing those living in severe poverty, such assistance has contributed to the overall health and well-being of thousands who are completely dependent on the support of their fellow Jews.

To understand the need for JDC’s relief services, it is important to consider many of the harsh realities and underlying causes that have created a social crisis in the region. Thousands of elderly who rely on pensions as their primary or only income struggle daily with rising food prices, expensive and often unavailable medicine, and inaccessible institutional care. The historical roots of a communist economic system further mean that many senior citizens, who never had the opportunity to accumulate capital, assets or savings over the years, are now forced to pay for services that were once free. Countries across the FSU still lack effective social safety net strategies for the poor, and assistance does not generally reach those who need it. Sub-standard living conditions – including deteriorating homes, lack of indoor plumbing, and inadequate relief supplies – create extreme difficulties for the region’s elderly during the FSU’s harsh winters.

The Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign – along with those of other Jewish Federations across North America – helps to ensure that a critical infrastructure of services remains in place 365 days a year to provide solutions to the crucial issues affecting those in the FSU. The JDC is the world’s leading Jewish humanitarian assistance organization, working in Israel and in more than 70 other countries to alleviate hunger and hardship, rescue Jews in danger, create lasting connections to Jewish life, and provide immediate relief and long-term development support for victims of natural and manmade disasters.

According to a recent report by the JDC, the following services were provided through Hesed centers in the FSU from January to October 2012:

• Food cards for 91,966 clients, enabling them to make purchases in local supermarkets

• Nearly 55,000 food packages – containing oil, sugar, rice, grains and other items – for 11,353 clients who are able to cook

• More than 87,000 fresh food packages – containing nutritious perishables such as chicken, dairy products, fruits and vegetables – for 19,683 clients

• More than 260,000 hot lunches served in 92 communal dining rooms and providing much-needed nutrition and social interaction for 6,844 clients

• More than 335,234 cooked meals delivered to 1,878 homebound and immobile clients

• More than 9.2 million hours of homecare to help 25,852 disabled or homebound clients with the basic activities of daily living, such as bathing and house cleaning

• Loans of medical rehabilitation equipment, such as wheelchairs, to 7,519 clients

• Free medical consultation for 7,834 clients by volunteer physicians

• Free or subsidized medication for 69,778 clients who cannot afford them

• Boots, overcoats, blankets, heating fuel and/or assistance with heating bills to help 11,903 clients deal with harsh winters

In addition to this aid, Hesed staff has worked hard to identify its most vulnerable clients in the FSU and to take measures to prevent difficulties in future winters. These steps included recruiting volunteers to seal broken windows before winter; setting up emergency communication lines for clients in hard-to-reach areas; purchasing and storing extra food for distribution; approaching local Jewish suppliers for donations of hats and coats; and purchasing extra coal and wood for heating.

Click here to learn more about how support of the Annual Greater Miami Jewish Federation/UJA Campaign makes a difference in the lives of people in need in Miami, in Israel and worldwide. For further information about Federation-funded programs overseas, contact Dahlia Bendavid, Israel and Overseas Department Director, at 786.866.8445 or [email protected].