Women's League Values Our Vets
For the past several
biennial conventions, Women's League
has undertaken chesed projects in support
of organizations in or near its convention
host city or region. In 2006,
we provided pillows and toiletries for
victims of abuse at the Laurel House in
Philadelphia. In 2008, our members handcrafted
more than 15,000 hats, gloves and
scarves for distribution to the homeless in
Detroit. And in 2010 we presented every child
in pre-kindergarten and third grade in the
Baltimore City public schools with his or her
own age-appropriate reading book, 11,000
books in total! The outpouring of generosity
and effort by our sisterhoods and members
has just been astonishing.
It did not take the planning committee
long to come up with an appropriate project
for the 2012 convention being held in
Las Vegas, December 2-5. Contemporary
events have provided an important and
urgent need: supporting the large number
of veterans of two wars returning home
with disabilities and permanent impairments.
With this in mind, the members
of Women's League will be assisting veterans
and their families who are residents of
the West Los Angeles Fisher House.
Fisher Houses are recent establishments
that support America's military and their
families beyond what is provided by the
Departments of Defense and Veterans
Affairs. Fisher Houses are found on the
grounds of military and VA medical centers
for easy access by the servicemen and women
who, together with their families, must travel
great distances for specialized medical care.
These homes provide housing – at no cost
– during hospitalizations for any illness, disease
or injury. The West Los Angeles facility
was selected as the closest to Las Vegas
(and both Los Angeles and Las Vegas are
in the Women's League Pacific Southwest
Region). Last year this Fisher House served
652 families in its 21 suites. You can learn
about the facility at www.fisherhouse.org.
For the servicemen and women who must
suffer through lengthy
hospitalizations following
their tours of
duty, travel and living
expenses to access
care can be daunting.
Through Value Our Vets,
Women's League sisterhoods, individual
members, and family and friends will provide
gift cards for local grocery stores, restaurants,
and pharmacies to help defray some
of the living expenses. These gift cards will
be a small token of our respect and gratitude
for those who have contributed so much.
The local merchants, selected by the director
of the West LA Fisher House, are CVS,
Rite-Aid, Subway, Kentucky Fried Chicken,
McDonald's, The Cheesecake Factory, The
Coffee Bean, Starbucks, Target, and Ralph's
Grocery Store.
The presentation of the gift cards will
be a highlight of the convention's final plenary
session on December 5, a session that
will feature Rabbi/Colonel Bonnie Koppell,
the first female Jewish chaplain in the United
States Army Reserves. Value Our Vets cochair
Myra Promisel, speaking on behalf
of herself and co-chair Ziza Pallia, said: “Buying
gift cards is something everyone can
do. Ziza and I know that Women's League
members will be as touched as we were by
this project and will fully support this effort
to make a difference in the lives of veterans.”
You can support veterans of the Canadian
armed forces with contributions to the Military
Families Fund that can be accessed
through the Canadian Forces Personnel and
Family Support Services at www.cfpsa.com.
If you would like to contribute to Value
Our Vets, checks, or gift cards to the listed
vendors can be sent to Women's League
for Conservative Judaism, 475 Riverside
Drive, Suite 820, New York, New York
10115, or you can donate online at
www.wlcj.org. If you have any questions,
contact Women's League Program/Education Director Lisa Kogen at
lkogen@wlcj.org or 212.870-2156.