Jul 7, 2021

An Overwhelming Show of Generosity in Response to the Tragedy

The response to the Surfside tragedy has been overwhelming, proving that generosity and empathy extend far beyond geographical boundaries. The Greater Miami Jewish Federation Emergency Fund for the Surfside Building Collapse has received donations from more than 7,500 donors in 49 states, along with Israel, Canada and Puerto Rico totaling close to $2 million. Federations across the country including Baltimore, Dallas and New York along with large corporations, church groups and foundations have also helped the cause. Donations in the amount of $87.77 (the address of the building), mutliples of chai ($18) and other biblically significant numbers, accompanied by heartfelt messages of hope and solidarity, demonstrate the care and thoughtfulness of each contribution. And then there's 10-year-old Layla Salcedo, whose own nonprofit raised $560 for the Emergency Fund. If you have not yet made a donation to the Emergency Fund for the Surfside Building Collapse and would like to do so, please click here. 

Layla Salcedo, an extraordinary 10-year-old, is an example of the giving spirit. In 2017, after a family game of Battleship, she realized other kids might want to play the game but not have the resources to buy the toy. She organized a toy drive, which further sparked her interest in giving back. Soon after, she formed her own nonprofit Let’s Be Selfless (taken from her name Layla Brielle Salcedo) and has organized additional toy drives for patients at Nicklaus Children’s Hospital and school supply drives for residents of Chapman Partnership.

When Layla heard about the building Champlain Tower collapse, she knew that she needed to act. On behalf of her organization and supporters, Layla donated $560 bringing the value of tikkun olam (repairing the world) to life. “I was inspired to donate because I saw so many people in need from a terrible tragedy,” Layla said. “It’s times like these we must step up and help one another. I hope our contributions were able to provide them with the essential supplies they desperately need and that it helped them somehow recover more quickly.”