Raphi Bloom, The Fed’s Director or Fundraising, Marketing and Communications, writes about the huge rise in demand from the community that The Fed is experiencing from the Cost Of Living Crisis.
If you wish to donate to our Pesach Appeal please click here – https://www.thefed.org.uk/donate-online/
“I’ve not eaten in four days.”
“I’ve no money to buy proper nappies or wipes for my little ones.”
Just a couple of comments from the hundreds of people turning to The Fed for support in recent months.
Calls for help have poured in – many linked to the impact of soaring inflation and elevated fuel costs; others to the myriad social care issues affecting our Manchester Jewish community. In the first two weeks of 2023 alone, The Fed received as many requests for financial help as would normally be made in any 12-month period.
Don’t kid yourself that people in our community are miraculously insulated against the scourge of the cost-of-living crisis.
This time last year I predicted that: “People will be poorer, mental health will deteriorate, and isolation will increase. Consequently, even more people will turn to The Fed for help …”. It didn’t need a genius or prophet – the writing was on the wall.
I joined The Fed four years ago naively thinking – as I’ve often told people – that I already had a good grasp of the work it undertook: I knew that Heathlands Village had undergone a massive physical transformation; I knew it provided fantastic care for the older members of the community. I knew The Fed also supported older people in the community with befriending, shopping and so on. It turned out I’d no idea about its children’s centre, Project Smile, its community centre, adult community groups, support for carers, My Voice … shall I go on? And many of you knew as little as I did.As my understanding of the range and reach of The Fed’s services has grown, I’ve made it my business to also shift the ‘general Jewish public’ perception of what we do.
Thankfully we’ve arrived at a point where it’s common knowledge that our services benefit 1 in 7 Jewish homes in our community every year – or over 6,500 people. Weighty and alarming numbers. More than that, I’m grateful that people have demonstrated their better understanding of what The Fed does, and their trust in us to deliver the highest level of professional services for people in need, by supporting us generously.
But – dare I say it? – if we are to continue to keep people’s heads above water, we need our supporters’ hands to open even wider. Does that seem too onerous? Well, think about this: 90% of the money The Fed must raise to transform and save Jewish lives in our region must come from Manchester donors – from you. Why so? Because repeatedly, when we approach London-based donors and foundations (who give liberally to umpteen charities in London, Europe or Israel) they tell us that Manchester is simply not their priority. Fortunately for them, by the way, Manchester Jewry does not take that view and many of us Northerners, regularly give to national Jewish charities.
But where does that leave us? On home turf – relying to a huge extent on you – Jewish Mancunians. My wife has often asked me if the amount of money The Fed must raise every year scares me. It doesn’t. What does frighten me is the thought of what will happen to our Jewish co-Mancunians if we don’t manage to pull in what we need. And that fear fuels my resolve to unapologetically urge even greater support for The Fed from Manchester Jewry.
Our latest records illustrate that we are delivering over 1,300 instances of support a month concerning issues such as mental illness, domestic and sexual abuse, loneliness, social isolation, and self-harm, alongside the elevated number of appeals for financial support. Each of those instances represents a person or family in need of help – struggling; stressed; desperate; people from every corner of our community with nowhere else to turn. Or having turned elsewhere, discovering that it wasn’t until they came to us that they got the support they really needed. As one harrowed person, caring for their very poorly partner recently told us: “I don’t know why I didn’t get in touch with The Fed before. I contacted other organisations, but it wasn’t till I came to The Fed that I felt totally supported. The person I spoke to immediately started asking me lots of questions to check if we were getting everything we were entitled to – she had a real handle on our situation”.
That carer and the person they care are now wrapped in The Fed’s safety net.
At the start of the Seder, we declare: “Kol dichfin yeitei v’yeichol, kol ditzrich yeitei v’yifsach – All those who are hungry, let them enter and eat. All who are in need, let them come celebrate the Passover.”
This epitomises The Fed’s work – alleviating hunger; want; suffering and making sure that no one is turned away empty-handed. The Fed empowers; it ensures people have what they need to live a better life; it restores people’s dignity and hope.
“I wash each day in a little boiled water.”
“I’m on a water meter and I’m terrified.”
Two further recent comments from people urgently needing The Fed’s safety net.
Will you, my fellow Jewish Mancunians, step up and help us meet the rising demands of those most vulnerable and in need here in Manchester?
I know you will.
Chag Kasher v’Sameach. Wishing you a very Happy Pesach.
If you wish to donate to our Pesach Appeal please click here – https://www.thefed.org.uk/donate-online/