“We are so grateful for the support we received for this campaign and initiative.”
(PRWEB) December 05, 2014
DOROT, a nonprofit organization based on the Upper West Side of New York City, raised over $25,000 on Giving Tuesday to supply cell phones to seniors in its Homelessness Prevention Program and Aftercare Program.
For seniors who are 60 or older and homeless or facing homelessness, DOROT’s Homelessness Prevention Program (HPP) offers safe temporary housing, meals, counseling in multiple languages, and assistance in finding a permanent home. DOROT’s Aftercare program provides clients with ongoing services after they move into more permanent housing and for the rest of their lives, including providing necessary supplies for independence such as linens, kitchen essentials, clothing, and now, cell phones to stay connected to friends, be reached by potential employers, call for help in an emergency, and communicate with DOROT.
“Many people don’t realize how important a basic cell phone is for someone who is homeless,” said DOROT’s Executive Director, Mark Meridy. “To be able to call a DOROT social worker, or give a potential employer your phone number, is so important in helping these seniors get back to being independent and preventing social isolation.”
This was DOROT’s first year participating in Giving Tuesday with a formal campaign. The organization used a crowd funding platform to collect funds, making it easier for supporters to spread the word through social media and email.
DOROT received a 2:1 match for the first $5,000 raised, which was made possible by FJC, a foundation of donor advised funds. Once that goal was surpassed, a generous Board Member matched the next $5,000 dollar for dollar. In total the organization raised $25,742 with more still coming in.
“We are so grateful for the support we received for this campaign and initiative,” said Meridy. “We’ll be able to provide cell phones configured with service plans – lifelines, really – to seniors facing homelessness who need them.”
DOROT alleviates social isolation among the elderly and provides services to help them live independently as valued members of the community. It serves the Jewish and wider community, bringing the generations together in a mutually beneficial partnership of elders, volunteers and professionals.