Cote Samt-Luc

Sulam was established in 1981 with the goal of advancing children with special needs, who suffer from a variety of difficulties including: developmental delays, Autism Spectrum Disorder, physical, emotional, sensory-integrative, behavioral and learning disorder, and combinations thereof.

At present 358 children aged 3 months to 17 years attend 39 different classes in Sulam under the dedicated professionalism of 363 staff members in 7 branches.

Sulam’s approach to therapeutic intervention and education is holistic as it aims to enable children to realize their individual potential, and to achieve maximum independent functioning levels and readiness for successful integration into society. Approximately 25% of Sulam’s children are ultimately able to integrate into a regular classroom.

Sulam pioneers in implementing new and unique methods of treatment for special children. Its highly professional paramedical and psychological staff provides a wide range of therapies and intervention techniques in an all-encompassing program with state-of-the art equipment, along with support and guidance to the children’s families.

Sulam’s Influence

Short-term: Sulam provides a one-stop service where all the helped need for special children is available under one roof, thus sparing parents the need to run to and from a variety of institutions and costly private therapies at the expense of their hours at the workplace and home.

Long-term: Sulam’s intensive investment in cutting-edge therapeutic and educational intervention significantly increases the likelihood that children with a wide range of disabilities can be mainstreamed into the normative educational system. This is not only of immeasurable emotional and social benefit to the children and their families, but serves to save the State, and the taxpayer, major expenses.

What Are Learning Disabilities?

Chen V’chesed V’rachamim is a non-profit organization, raising awareness and funds for programs in Israel dedicated to helping troubled men and women who have nowhere else to turn. These programs provide professional counseling, rehabilitation, and supportive residential housing with sincere love, dedication, and respect for each of its clientele giving them and their families a wonderful chance for a brighter future.

Each individual referred to Chen V’chesed V’rachamim is evaluated by the professional staff and tracked into the appropriate setting. The adult track, Se’adeni Ve’ivashea & Shalvat Haim , provides quality service to their specialized population. In addition, Chen V’chesed V’rachamim runs Children’s Home.

It is crucial and vital that Chen V’chesed V’rachamim succeed in raising the necessary funds so that the programs can continue their life-saving work.

If you become aware of anyone who may benefit from such a program, please feel free to refer him or her to us.

Your generous tax-deductible donation can make all the difference in the world.

chen v’chesed v’rachamim (C.V.V.) short video

On the road to Bnei Brak

The MS Society is the national organization that brings all Canadians together in a nationwide drive to educate, provide support, advocate for and raise the funds needed to find new treatments and, eventually, a cure for a disease that can destroy the quality of life and shorten lifespans of those who have it.

“We have come so far in the past 20 years on all those fronts but we still have so much we need to achieve,” says Deanna Groetzinger, vice-president of government relations and policy for the society.

Major breakthroughs include the widespread use of MRI technology, starting in the late 1980s. Physicians finally had a diagnostic tool that let them see the effect MS had on the brain in real time. That opened the door to the understanding that MS was a progressive disease characterized by alternating periods of relapse in remission in about 80% of patients.

Then in 1995 came the first effective therapy able to slow progression of the disease. Injected anywhere from one to three times a week, it proved able to reduce relapses by about one-third. It was followed by a series of three more injectables, all of which had a similar effect.

In 2007, yet another new drug was introduced, this time infusion-based. Physicians generally prescribed it after the four first-line injectable treatments proved ineffective. While it required patients to go to a clinic once a month and spend a few hours being infused – much like chemotherapy for cancer – and while it did have potentially serious side effects in about one in 1,000 patients, the new therapy was hailed as a great improvement by many doctors, Ms. Groetzinger says.

For many patients, it reduced relapses by two-thirds and seemed to restore energy, mobility and clarity of mind – significant improvements in their quality of life.

“Each new therapy seems to build on the success of the previous ones,” Ms. Groetzinger says. “Having five available finally gave physicians and patients the ability to choose which best suited their own circumstances.

“We are also encouraged that there are an additional two drugs in the approval stage. Both can be taken orally, which is a major advance, and indications are that they will be approved for us within the next two years.”

But the new infusion therapy comes with a hitch: Paid for privately, treatment would cost about $40,000 a year and only four provincial drug plans list the new therapy among the drugs they will pay for. In Ontario, Saskatchewan and Alberta, it can only be prescribed after the four other therapies have failed, and in Quebec, it can only be prescribed for patients who have not yet tried any other therapies.

“Our feeling is that these are artificial restrictions,” she says. “We believe that once Health Canada has approved a drug it should immediately be available to all Canadians.”

Where you live should not determine the quality of care you receive, Ms. Groetzinger says. She and the society make a strong economic case to support their view. She points out that MS patients receiving therapy that allows them to continue as productive members of society – to work, care for children, avoid regular hospitalization – means they will be an economic asset to their community and the country.

To deny them therapy that greatly reduces relapses and improves their quality of life means they become a liability, taking chunks out of the economic pie instead of continuing to add to it.

It is an intensely practical point of view, an approach that distinguishes all the programs the MS Society offers.

“Right now we have three major focuses,” Mr. Groetzinger says. “The first is to ensure access to all available therapies, the second is to provide income support for those who need it, and the third is better home care and support for patients and their families.”

Hatzoloh responders are required to have the following:

Certification & Training

Emergency Medical Responder Certification

Under the supervision of Robert J. Burgess, Senior Manager, Sunnybrook & Women’s College Health Sciences Centre Division of Pre-hospital Care, our responders received the designation of Emergency Medical Responder (EMR). The responders of Hatzoloh Toronto are proud to be the first group in Ontario to receive certification in this new program.

Each responder is certified as an EMR/D, which requires the responder to undergo 250 hours of training and recognizes our competency in the following areas:

Emergency patient care
C.P.R.
Patient immobilization
Oxygen therapy
Basic trauma life support
Defibrillation
Non-emergency patient care

Recently, Hatzoloh Toronto has upgraded its capabilities by including training for:

Administration of EPI pens, aspirin and ventolin
Blood glucose testing

Ontario Paramedic Association

All Hatzoloh Toronto responders are members of the Ontario Paramedic Association. We are the only volunteer organization to have been accorded such membership and we are very proud to belong to such a distinguished organization.

Ongoing Training

As part of our continuing education programs, our responders are required toperform clinical observations in Emergency Rooms and go for ride-a-longs in ambulances. During the SARS epidemic and the difficulty in procuring emergency room time and ride-a-longs, we sent some of our members to New York in order to obtain such training. Our responders are also required to attend mandatory lectures on different medical issues approximately once a month and must be recertified as EMRs every two years. Our responders must attend these programs and must successfully complete the EMR recertification examinations in order to retain their EMR status. Continuing education and clinical observation in both ambulance and Emergency Room settings help keep our responders’ training current.

Hatzoloh Toronto uses mannequins that enable Hatzoloh responders to simulate emergencies and conduct comprehensive training.

Equipment

Each Hatzoloh responder is equipped with a two way radio, an oxygen bag and a trauma bag. The contents of the bags are as follows:

Oxygen bag
O2 tank and all necessary oxygen delivery systems (adult, pediatric, nasal)
3 bag valve masks for all respiratory/cardiac arrests. (adult, pediatric and infant)
Suction unit
6 sizes of airways
BP cuff kit
Stethoscope
Several different sizes of cervical collars
Glucose and Asherman chest seal

Trauma kit

Ice
Gloves
Proper safety equipment, such as goggles, masks, gowns and heavy-duty gloves
Saline
Burn kit
Assorted bandages
Splint kit
OB kit

In addition, we have equipped several responders in each neighbourhood with semiautomatic defibrillators.

It’s good to be home

There is no place like home, especially when dealing with illness or limited mobility. Circle of Care offers clients a complete range of services to assist with day-to-day living. Client comfort, well-being and dignity are paramount. Whatever the need, Circle of Care’s knowledgeable and caring professionals provide the highest quality of service, while safeguarding confidentiality and privacy. A care plan is developed with the client and family to meet the specific needs of each individual.

Circle of Care Home Support Services can help with:

• Personal care, such as bathing, grooming and dressing

• Homemaking and light housekeeping

• Caregiver relief

• Emergency care

• Specialized service for Alzheimer’s, palliative, mental health, acquired brain injury and pediatric care

Care when it’s needed – Clients can choose convenient service times

Care that’s affordable – Rates are competitive and subsidies are available to those who qualify

Trusted care – All staff have been screened to maximize client safety and confidentiality

Continuity of Care – Consistency in scheduling and worker assignments are maintained to best meet client needs

Culturally-sensitive care – Language, culture and religion are important considerations when providing care. Circle of Care respects the diversity of our clients and offers home care services in a variety of languages

Qualified care – Staff receive ongoing training and supervision. All personal care is provided by certified Personal Support Workers

Susana, 85, lives alone in the former Soviet republic of Georgia. She never married or had children, and has no living relatives.

Life as an elderly Jew in this part of the world is a constant struggle, filled with poverty, isolation, and loneliness. Susana lives in a dilapidated two room flat, with one room uninhabitable due to fire damage. Her meager monthly pension of $55 is simply not enough to cover even her most basic living expenses or the medications she needs to treat her high blood pressure, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses.

Thankfully for Susana, The Fellowship’s Isaiah 58 partners fund a nearby Hesed center. Through Hesed—a Hebrew word meaning “loving kindness”—Susana is provided with critically important goods and services like home care, medical assistance, food packages, and rehabilitation equipment. She also enjoys an active social life at Hesed’s Day Center, where she has the opportunity to enjoy the company of other people her age.

Susana recognizes the importance of Hesed in her life. She is especially grateful for the friendships that have grown and blossomed since she started visiting the center. “Very few people know how difficult it is to be so lonely,” she says. “I am lucky to have the support of Hesed and to be able to participate in the Day Center program. Because of Hesed I have a family here!”

There are thousands of elderly Soviet Jews like Susana who live in shocking poverty and rely on Isaiah 58 for their survival. Please give to Isaiah 58 today to help ease their suffering.

Kupat Hatzedoko Matan Beseter Elad distributes regular monthly grants as well as vouchers for food and clothing. From time to time the Kupat Hatzedoko awards a large sum of money to particular cases where danger to life is involved. The Kupa has a number of funds to support Kollel students, and large and single-parent families.

The Kupa has a special fund which subsidizes private lessons for children in distress or with learning difficulties. It also has a joint fund with Yad Eliezer and others, too. The Kupa recently set up a fund to help with urgent medical expenses and it has already been instrumental in saving lives.

Gedolei Yisroel have warm words of praise for the Kupat Hatzedoko of Elad. HaRav Aharon Leib Steinman reviews the work of the Kupa and from time to time HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, HaRav Shmuel Auerbach and other well-known rabbonim answer the halachic queries that arise.

The organizers have seen tens of miraculous stories that have occurred in the merit of donations to the Kupat HAIR.

The heads of the Kupa are proud of the fact that other charity organizations have chosen to model themselves on the Kupa of Elad!

“Giving tzedoko to Kupat HAIR Matan Beseter Elad is a big mitzvah,” according to HaRav Chaim Kanievsky, who warmly encourages those who support the Kupat Hatzedoko of the Torah city of Elad.

Moishe Alexander was endorsed this charity and asks for the help of the community to help fund the Vaad Harabbanim

What is The Vaad Harabbanim?

The Vaad Harabbanim is an organization that was founded by Gedolei Hador, shlita, in order to supervise all charitable matters in Israel. Until its inception, there was no real control or organization to charitable donations and causes, with the very number of charitable funds being overwhelming, as well as problems like knowing if one’s donation really reached its goal, how monies were spent, reviews and audits of activities, and more.

As the economic situation worsened, it became even harder to ensure that charitable funds could be properly monitored, especially for large families in the Chareidi sector.

Understanding the scope of the problem, as well as the large number of unsupervised charitable organizations and the growing lack of trust among donors regarding their generosity’s destination, it was decided to establish a single, central organization that would be directed, operated, supervised and audited by dedicated and honest Rabbinical leaders. Each request for help would be carefully examined, criteria would be set, and every case would be followed up and reviewed to ensure honesty, transparency and that a person’s hard-earned donation reached its destination in full.

Thanks to its wide acceptance of the entire Chareidi world, the Vaad was able to establish a much wider donor base and therefore meet many more needs of an ever increasing poor and economically underprivileged population.

And so it was, the Vaad was established, rapidly becoming the largest and most central charity fund in Israel.

The Wheel of Fortune and Salvation

But the results surprised even the founders. Within a very short time, the Vaad’s reputation preceded it, and donations increased ten-fold, with the more veteran Gabbaim saying that the Israel before the founding of the Vaad is totally different than the Israel after the organization’s establishment.

The Vaad still serves as Israel’s largest charity fund, and has become the wheel of fortune and salvation for tens of thousands of tragic cases annually. The Vaad has helped countless widows, orphans, families and individuals overcome abject poverty, broken lives, broken families and dealing with fatal and near-fatal illness. In fact, the Vaad is so comprehensive and broad in its clientele base and so honest and efficient in its distribution of funds, that the Posek Hador Harav Hagaon S. Wozner, shlita, has said: “The Vaad Harabbainim is the very essence of charity in its fullest sense, unlike anything else in history.”

Whom to Give?

Naturally, some of the most difficult and tragic cases come to the Vaad for help, due to its size and scope. Even starving children are not an uncommon sight in the Vaad offices.

And it is certainly no pleasure when the Gabbaim enter a home to investigate a particular request and are greeted with peeling walls, disconnected electricity and phone, worn-out mattresses on the floor, and filthy children dressed in rags, not to mention empty cupboards and refrigerators or a father who works until late leaving a sickly and exhausted wife to cope with children and all the problems.

The only address for such cases is the Vaad, but the activities don’t stop there. Seeing its role as being the largest and most centralized charity fund, the Vaad also handles “regular” needs, like making sure a child receives proper dental care, psychological counseling and the like, which can be no less important than feeding a hungry child.