Hundreds of women in the Lakewood community have joined the Chai Lifeline Chanukah Heroes program, undertaking to buy Chanukah gifts for children of families battling illness.
The gifts will light up the eyes of more than thousand children at Chai Lifeline’s COVID-Compliant Chanukah event on December 7th.
Each Hero received a complete Chanukah Wishlist from a specific family and set out to purchase an exciting age-appropriate gift for each child. On Chanukah, the generosity of these selfless women will spread thousands of wide smiles in homes across Lakewood and its surrounding areas.
“Chai Lifeline is not a group of individuals helping families who are struggling with illness,” said Rabbi Sruli Fried, Director of Chai Lifeline NJ/PA. “It’s the community that keeps our families going, and the Adopt a Family Chanukah Program is just one example of the community uniting to show love and support for families facing medical challenges.”
One of the greatest struggles Chai Lifeline families face is the feeling of isolation that accompanies serious illness. This outpouring of giving from the community alleviates their sense of loneliness and shows them that they’re not alone.
“When I see the smiles on my children’s faces as they unwrap their gifts, I feel blessed to live in such a caring and generous community,” said Chaya P., a Chai Lifeline mother. “This incredible display of support keeps me going months later, as I travel home after yet another exhausting day at the hospital.”
The toys will be distributed at Chai Lifeline’s annual Chanukah party, which will be taking place in a new, exciting format due to COVID restrictions. “We completely transformed our event to comply with government regulations,” said Rabbi Aharon Koslowitz, Chai Lifeline NJ/PA Director of Community Services. “Plans are well underway for a spectacular evening of entertainment and camaraderie from a social distance that promises to create lifelong memories for families.”
As families count down the days to the grand Chanukah event, countless kindhearted women are visiting stores across the community in search of meaningful gifts for the children they ‘adopted.’
“Taking my kids shopping for gifts was an incredible opportunity to get them to think of others,” says volunteer EstiB. “My six-year-old spent a long time deciding between multiple dolls for ‘our family.’ It was truly special to involve them in Chesed in a way that they can relate.”
To adopt a family, please contact the Chai Lifeline office at 732-719-1700 or email [email protected].
[Press Release]
Mi kiamcha
amazing!!!!!! mi keamcha yisroel