Dear friends and family,

Welcome to my fundraising page for AVODAH The Jewish Service Corps Inc! 

On August 29th I will be moving to New Orleans to work for an organization called Young Aspirations/Young Artists (YA/YA) as the Art Speaks coordinator and an AVODAH corps member. AVODAH is a Jewish service corps that has partnerships with major non-profits in four U.S. cities- Chicago, New Orleans, New York, and Washington D.C. I am incredibly grateful to have been accepted into this program and to have been hired to work for an important organization such as YA/YA that teaches young artists how to enhance their craft, learn about the business of art production and consumption, and ultimately assists them in developing their voices and establishing their personhood.

Arts empowerment is a passion of mine. I started performing on stage and film when I was 13 years old and I can assuredly attest to the fact that this outlet was crucial in aiding self-discovery and having the confidence to assert my abilities and talents. It was no doubt a privilege that I took advantage of; and I want to make arts empowerment and personal expression a part of every young persons life.

Your contribution today will not just go toward my work at YA/YA, but will also provide the means to maintain the dozens of partnerships AVODAH has in their respective cities. In New Orleans alone my fellow corps members and future roommates will be working at organizations that work with issues such as organic farming and sustainable living, fair housing, and domestic abuse and battered women's shelters. Your support for these services are especially necessary in a city such as New Orleans, which relies heavily on non-profits to provide public services for a mostly disenfranchised population.

Whether you contribute $15 or $500, every dollar enables my fellow corps members and myself to work towards finding new and innovative ways to end poverty and racism and spread the urgent need for people such as yourself to advocate for social justice and equality. Your contribution means that you too have a stake in the future of the social justice movement and are making an effort to make the U.S. a safer and happier place to live for ALL people.

For those of you who prefer numbers:

• 80% of non-profit funds are given by individuals such as yourself.
• $310 billion is given annually to non-profits.
• AVODAH spends $18,000 on every corps member.
• There are 60 incoming AVODAH corps members.
• I will be receiving a monthly stipend of $450 while living in New Orleans.
• My goal is to raise $1,000 by September 1^st.

I encourage you to find out more about YA/YA and visit their website:  http://www.yayainc.com/

 

Donating through this website is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to support my fundraising efforts.

Many thanks for your support -- and don't forget to forward this to anyone who you think might want to donate too!