Project Ezra serves the frail elderly on New York’s Lower East Side. Over 400 of the elderly suffer from economic, physical and/or psychological difficulties and are being helped by services provided through Project Ezra. Some of their services include subsidizing food and medicine to those whose Social Security benefits are insufficient to last the entire month. Additionally, they sponsor group programs and outings, housekeeping services, volunteer home visits, transportation, a food pantry and food package distribution at holiday time.
Project Ezra relies primarily on foundations grants and individual donations for support. HOT pays for more than 200 of these poor elderly to attend two festive holiday meals each year: for some of the attendees it is the only two times during the year they socialize with people they have known for years.
As I type the bold section under Project Ezra I am somewhat at a loss of what to ask our donors to give.
How much do I ask to be designated? $500? $1,000? $1,800?
Exactly what should it be used for? We have bought a woman a new bed that replaced one that she had been using for 67 years and had springs popping out of it. We have bought tombstones so that five widows didn’t have to look at only dirt when they went to the cemetery plot where their husbands of fifty and sixty years were buried.
You decide how much to designate and your gift will be used to buy things that will help these frail elders live out their lives with dignity.