191 families in Crown Heights will have volunteers from Bais Rivkah High School this year, under the umbrella organization HOO-Helping our own.
Over 400 girls will be visiting families once a week to give mothers a helping hand with their little ones. Many volunteers make lifelong connections with the families and become like “big sisters” to the children they are visiting.
HOO will also be partnering with the Kimpeturin Project and Bikur Cholim. The purpose of the organization is to inculcate in the girls the idea that “A Chossid is a giver,” and for the girls to have a hands-on opportunity to practice what they are taught.
The volunteer kick-off event featured Mrs. Gitty Rosenfeld, who spoke about the importance of caring for others and forming a community. She gave the girls a sense of empowerment that they could make a difference in the lives of the families they go to.
It was followed by a heartfelt Kumzitz with singer Esther Freeman who sang her own personal songs and niggunim, continuing the theme of Chessed and helping mothers in the community.
The girls walked away with practical ideas to do while playing with the children in the homes that they visit, as well as uplifted and inspired to be able to Help Our Own.
Organizers thanked Rabbi Benjy Stock for initiating and coordinating this project, as well as Mrs. Shiffy Goldstein and Mrs. Sara Blau, and the 12th grade HOO Heads.
My elderly mother lives in town.
She’s so lonely.
I called BR and got special permission for my daughter to be excused from HOO and visit my mother instead.
They willingly agreed on condition that I would be on top of making sure she really goes each week.
Even more.
I was told, that an hour might be a long time for a high school girl to sit with a senior.
If my daughter prefers, she can go twice a week, for a half hour each time.
My point is, they allow visiting seniors as a chesed.
First of all, thank you COL for this post! Second, I really appreciate that BR gave permission for my daughter to do her HOO at my house. I desperately need her help, why should she help a stranger if I need her? Is helping at home not chesed? Also, they only gave permission if I (the mother) called. My daughter asked and they did not give her a response. She was told: If your mother thinks you should be given permission to do your hours at home, she needs to call. When I called, I was given a criteria of… Read more »
ASSISING SENIOR CITIZENS IS ALSO MISSING IN C.H. JUST AS IMPORTANT IF NOT MORE. A SR CITIZEN IS VERY LIMITED IN WHAT SHE CAN DO IN THE HOME ON HER OWN. PLEASE EXTEND YOUR PROGRAM TO INCLUDE THEM AS WELL. 718 974 3981
I applaud HOO for all their wonderful
Work and I applaud the girls for being involved …They bring relief to many families
But why the emphasis on the PR ?
The chessed part seems secondary
Yes. I am doing this for my neighbor.
She really appreciates my help.
She has kah 5 children her oldest is 7.
Why is it a problem that shes my neighbor and i chose her?
Im still doing chesed.
You made a mistake. If youre impressed, then yhou agree with comment #2
I wanted to do my family and they didnt let. Youre lucky if you got permission. I guess your family really needed the help so they made an exception
That is really not true, as a high school Girl it happens to be really hard to find an hour to go help a family amidst all the homework and tests and projects and usually it is really hard to get your relitive as your HOO family….
INCREDIBLE AMAZING PROGRAM!!!!
It’s presented in such a beautiful way that every girl WANTS to be a part- what could have been a dull mandatory school thing is now an awesome opportunity that everyone wants to do!!! With choices of Chesed for all types of girls, BRHS really transformed chesed into a cool fun thing to do!!
GO HOOOO
Everything seems to be running so professionally this year!!
I emailed with a question and got a call-back in a timely manner.
I was impressed with what I was told when I called up to register as a HOO family.
Thank you BR and thank you to all the 400 volunteers!! (I actually think its more than 400 volunteers)
I will never forget how helpful the girls were to me after I’d had a baby then — actually 17 years ago. It was just an hour a week, so it might seem like nothing, but it was an AMAZING help to me!
So glad to see this happening now!
Her anecdotes between songs where so full of meaning. She really gave over powerful messages about doing chesed
I heard mrs rosenfeld gave the girls tips and messages for life!
I also read through the binders that the volunteers recived and really appreciated the chinuch they are getting.
Thanks for training our daughters to do chesed in such a beautiful way
From when i called to register for hoo this year, to the phone call from the volunteers, the visit from the volunteers, the email that i got with the rules and calendar and the folder of papers that the girls gave me when they came – everything was so professional!! I am totally impressed. You took a school project and made it into a huge, professional organization. Kol hakovod!
What does it say about our youth that we need this much fanfare for ONE hour a week of chessed? And keep in mind that this year the girls are allowed to choose to help a friend or family member instead, even if they don’t really need it.