Footsteps on Righteous Crowd this Week!

Footsteps yearly Thanksgiving celebration in 2019. With the onset of the pandemic, Footsteps reimagined communal gatherings including a virtual Passover dinner, PRIDE celebration and ‘graduation’ ceremony for members.

Footsteps yearly Thanksgiving celebration in 2019. With the onset of the pandemic, Footsteps reimagined communal gatherings including a virtual Passover dinner, PRIDE celebration and ‘graduation’ ceremony for members.

Footsteps

Assisting Formerly Ultra-Orthodox Jews
 

In this week’s Torah portion, Lech Lecha, God says to Abram, “Go forth from your native land and from your father’s house to the land that I will show you.” Rashi interprets the line “lech lecha” as “go for yourself” or for your own benefit. Inspired by Abram who left the land that he knew and set out on a new journey, we are supporting an organization that helps people start a new journey in their lives. Footsteps is the only organization in the United States providing comprehensive services to people who have chosen to leave their ultra-Orthodox communities and begin new lives. 

Footsteps Donor Relations Manager Emma Kraft wrote to us about all that is happened since the pandemic began. Righteous Crowd also supported Footsteps in 2019.

In the span of a week in early March, we moved our entire program model and operation online. Soon after, we started or scaled emergency initiatives to provide crisis funding for members with acute financial or mental health needs. The majority of our members who choose to leave ultra-Orthodox Judaism are cut off from their families which means they lose access to their financial safety net and social capital. Given the number of members who are also in non-salaried, low-wage jobs with limited access to healthcare, we have seen a huge economic impact in the form of lost or reduced earnings during COVID-19.

Additionally, Footsteps members often start from scratch to rebuild their lives, and the attendant feelings of stress, isolation, and insecurity negatively impact their mental health. Social distancing on top of the feeling of isolation that “Footsteppers” typically experience is a dangerous combination. We are particularly concerned about the physical and mental health of members who still live at home in their ultra-Orthodox communities, where the impact of COVID-19 has been very high.

Program attendance is currently up 62% compared to last year. The demand has been so great that recurring monthly programs are now running on a weekly basis. Online engagement is attractive and effective for many, including remote members who have been calling in from across the nation.  

On a normal day, our members operate without room for error or illness. In the context of a pandemic, when many of us turn to relatives for support (in the form of money, childcare, comfort), many Footsteppers no longer have that kind of relationship with their nuclear family or community of origin. But they have that kind of relationship with Footsteps.

Below are up to date statistics:

  • In April, we launched the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund (CERF). We have since announced two funding cycles--in April and September. To date, 103 grants have been awarded to 91 individuals for a total of $158,400. By comparison, in FY19 (Oct. 1, 2018-Sept. 30, 2019), only 14 members received cash assistance with a total of $35,000. Almost every request this year was for food, rent, and utilities.

  • We launched the COVID-19 Mental Health Resource Fund for members who cannot access mental health resources due to financial or other barriers. The total funds distributed has been $14,550 to 16 members.

  • Despite significant changes and uncertainty around higher education, Footsteps allocated $501,000 to 135 scholars for the 2020-2021 academic year--our largest class size to date, even as our entire organization shifted to operating remotely due to COVID-19.

  • Footsteps provided academic and career services to over 261 individuals this year, nearly double from last year.


Here is how you can get involved beyond donating:
Footsteps has a limited but important need for volunteers who can make an ongoing commitment to work directly with Footsteps members. Our highest need for volunteers is in the following areas:

  • Experienced tutoring & test prep

  • Career advising/offering internships

  • Offering pro bono professional services (e.g., tax prep, dental work, hair-styling, legal advice, auto repair, etc.)

If you are interested in volunteering, please reach out to Dave Ruder, Footsteps Volunteer Manager, at dave@footstepsorg.org.

To learn more about Footsteps click here.

Amy Benarroch