In response to Hurricane Harvey in Oct. 2017, JCRS delivered 115 Hanukkah boxes for Greater Houston children, families and special needs adults, many of whom were affected by flooding in large areas of the Jewish community. Photo courtesy of JCRS.

By JCRS staff

Jewish Children’s Regional Service announced the establishment of the Disaster Relief Emergency Aid Matching (DREAM) Program to assist families experiencing extreme financial challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, flooding and other crises.

Lorne Abony of Austin, Texas, has agreed to match total donations made to this program up to $36,000 through the end of the year.

Michael Goldman of New Orleans, JCRS treasurer and a longtime member of Temple Sinai in Lake Charles, an area that was heavily damaged in Hurricane Laura, said, “This relief program is vitally important as so many families have been impacted by the economic downturn caused by the pandemic and in the wake of recent extreme weather events. I know many Jewish families that can use some financial relief. Who better than JCRS to step in and bridge the gap?”

With the matching gift challenge, JCRS hopes to raise a minimum $100,000 fund to provide aid relief to Jewish children and families experiencing hardship during periods of extreme economic challenges, unemployment, natural disasters, and social isolation.

Disaster relief funds will be approved for families with minor children who demonstrate need from within the region as direct monetary grants, reimbursement for extraordinary expenses in relation to the crisis, or in the form of gift cards to retailers such as Wal-Mart. Financial assistance within this program will be time-limited and support to families may be one-time or carried out over a period of months.

To make a qualifying matching gift or for more information about the JCRS Disaster Relief Program, contact Mark Rubin at [email protected] or Ned Goldberg at [email protected]. They can also be reached at (800)729-5277.

Established in 1855 as an orphanage in New Orleans, JCRS is currently the oldest existing Jewish children’s social service organization in the United States, as well as the only regional Jewish child welfare agency in the country. 

JCRS provides needs-based scholarships for summer camp experiences, college aid and assistance to children with special needs. Additional outreach programs include the Oscar J. Tolmas Hanukkah Gift Program and the PJ Library program for Jewish children ages 12 and younger. ■

For more information, visit jcrs.org.