From Our CEO
Making Life a Little Warmer
January 30th, 2015

Meteorologists in New York City may still be apologizing about the historic blizzard that wasn’t, but we can all agree that it’s very cold out there. When temperatures plummet, our thoughts turn to the people who live with very little. Many don’t have suitable shoes to trudge through the slush. Hot, nourishing meals are a luxury. Even worse is the possibility of not making the rent and facing eviction.

New York is a city of extremes; enormous wealth and terrible poverty live side by side. In some cases, poverty is visible and in many others, it’s not — the poor suffer quietly, unseen by most. It’s very difficult for most of us to imagine their daily struggles. That’s where the New York Times Neediest Cases comes in.

The stories chronicled in The New York Times between November and January offer an up-close-and-personal look at people in dire need and the circumstances that have brought them to this point. Some are born into poverty; others once had good jobs and nice homes until a severe illness upended everything. Some are elderly, immigrants, or parents of children with special needs, each facing unique challenges and each trying to live with as much dignity and independence as possible.

Among this year’s profiles, we meet Mariya and Leonid Livshyts, immigrants from Ukraine who survived unimaginable hardship as children. Now in their 70s and dealing with ill health, they couldn’t pay the rent on their small studio apartment. We also learn about Elaine Baez, who lives with mental-heath issues and makes ends meet by standing outside and selling dolls she carefully refurbishes. To stay in business in the cold, she needs winter clothes. You may have passed Elaine in the street selling her wares or live in the same neighborhood as Mariya and Leonid, but without the Neediest Cases, you would never know their stories — or the part you played in making their lives a little more bearable.

UJA-Federation is one of the organizations to benefit from the dollars raised through the New York Times Neediest Cases Fund. We in turn allocate funding to beneficiary agencies that provide life-saving services. The amounts distributed through the fund aren’t exorbitant — enough to pay for some clothes or a month’s rent. But this help often makes an immeasurable difference. It’s the difference between feeling alone and knowing that a community stands with you.

I invite you to read the 15 stories of people touched by UJA-Federation and our beneficiary agencies. In these coldest of days, you’ll feel pride and gratitude in knowing that we’re playing an important part in making life a little warmer for people all around this city.

Shabbat shalom