Sep 12, 2018
Tikkun Olam is a Family Affair at Federation
It’s never too early to learn the value of tikkun olam. Four-year-old Ellie Wieder, daughter of Adam and Lauren Wieder of Aventura, organized her first lemonade stand and donated the proceeds to Federation. With the help of generous neighbors, she raised $118. Ellie assisted in the kitchen and worked side-by-side with her mom and 2-year-old sister, Zoey, to get everything ready. The idea of a lemonade stand came to Ellie after seeing one while on a family vacation. Giving to Federation was a natural fit, thanks to her parents’ longtime dedication to the organization and their commitment to tzedakah. Lauren is active with Women’s Philanthropy and is a Lion of Judah. Adam is a Pacesetter.
Lauren appreciates that her donations are used to help different causes throughout the community, Israel and the world. “We know that our contribution is used efficiently and benefits so many different people,” she said. She recognizes the tangible benefit of Federation’s work. “When we volunteered recently at the Kosher Food Bank, we could see that the money we donate provides food for the hungry. I showed Ellie where the dollars go and it was valuable for her to be able to actually see it in action.” The Kosher Food Bank, run by Federation’s partner agency Jewish Community Services of South Florida, provides hundreds of at-risk families and low-income seniors a variety of non-perishable staples, canned goods, fresh produce, meat and frozen items.
In addition to volunteering at the Kosher Food Bank, Ellie and Zoey also receive PJ Library books and recently attended a Rosh Hashanah program where the children enjoyed PJ Library stories and made challah. PJ Library is a gift from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, made possible by the Harold Grinspoon Foundation and the Blank Family Foundation.
