Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund Brings Carnival to Far Rockaway

With the support of Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund, families were able to take a break from the pressure and anxiety caused by Hurricane Sandy and its aftermath. Funding from the Chesed Fund centered in Baltimore, and volunteers from girls’ schools in Baltimore came together to create what was called the “Welcome Home Carnival” to celebrate the ongoing recovery from the ravages of the devastating superstorm.

Rabbi of the Young Israel of Bayswater and Wavecrest in Far Rockaway, Eliezer Feuer, thanked Frank Storch for his efforts to help the people of his community.

“On behalf of my community of Bayswater and Far Rockaway, I want to thank Frank Storch and his family and the Baltimore Jewish community for caring about us and reaching out to us in New York. This is a great opportunity for our community to have a fresh start,” Rabbi Feuer said.

On hand and provided by the Chesed Fund were clowns, jugglers, magicians, face painters and more, to help relieve the children and their families from some of their stress at a very difficult time in their lives. Girls from Bais Yaakov and Bnos Yisroel filled buses to be there to help, as did also the staff of the Talmudical Academy of Baltimore, all to assist with the carnival.

Frank Storch Making Baltimore a Safer Place to Live

The efforts of Frank Storch to make the City of Baltimore the safest possible place to live have been ongoing, beginning back in the 1980s.

At that time Frank Storch co-founded with Barry Rosenbluth the Northwest Citizens Patrol. This new organization was formed as a response to a wave of crime in the city that was taking place then; several isolated occurrences of hold-ups and larcenies.

Ever since then the NWCP has had much success, so much so that other communities modeled their own security organizations after it. At the time of the founding Frank Storch said,

“The community owes a great debt of gratitude to all the Rosenbluth brothers, Avi, Ronnie, and Marc. Upon recognizing the severity of the problem, they immediately organized a night patrol.”

Chesed Fund Delivers Variety of Helping Options in Baltimore

The Chesed Fund Limited was launched by Danielle and Frank Storch to help Baltimore community members in ways that most other charitable organizations don’t consider. As an example, where else but the Chesed Fund can someone get a reflector belt to help make night-walking safer? The Chesed Fund has over 15,000 of these belts ready for people just for the asking. Have you ever been to a wedding or other celebration and found the music just too loud? The Chesed Fund has thousands of earplugs to give away to make partying more pleasant. For those among us that miss the date for ordering hand shemura matza for their Passover Seders the Chesed Fund can come to the rescue with 250 extra pounds around for just such a mishap. Last, but definitely not least, among the offers mentioned here, is a $99 package to photograph a Brit Milah, or other simcha.

It is clear that Frank Storch and his Chesed Fund are helping the Baltimore community in ways that challenge the imagination, helping bring the community together for good.

Frank Storch Urges Upgrade of Baltimore Security

In a letter to Baltimore community leaders Frank Storch urges that Baltimore schools and other locations where community members congregate, more steps should be taken to insure the safety and security of residents.

Inspired by the shocking and tragic events that took place in a Connecticut elementary school in mid-December, Storch listed several ways the community can take further precautions to upgrade the security in schools, synagogues and other public spaces.

• Panic buttons should be installed at all locations where receptionists are stationed
• Surprise lock-down drills should be practiced on a regular basis
• Cell phones should be pre-programmed with all staff numbers as well as emergency numbers in case land-lines are down.

Join in the Effort to Help Sandy’s Victims

Frank Storch is calling on the community and individuals to continue to aid those adversely affected by Hurricane Sandy only two months ago. Fearing that because Sandy and her victims are no longer headline news, Storch is reminding people that there is much to be done in the wake of the estimated $100 billion worth of damage inflicted upon the East Coast at the end of October.

Storch is advocating the “Make a Difference” initiative which encourages communities to come together to bring aid to the people most in need after the “Superstorm” left homes, community centers, synagogues and more damaged, in some cases, beyond repair.

 Here are some of the ways “Make a Difference” is motivating people to participate in this great effort to help:

• Enlist the aid of professionals, including those who are retired, who can act as coordinators who will make contact with the communities hardest hit by the hurricane and find out precisely what help they need. 

• Check out the possibility of helping people and families who so desire to relocate; finding them jobs, schools, housing and tuition assistance. 

• Start an “Adopt a Family” and/or an “Adopt a Shul” program whereby a synagogue partners with communities in the areas hardest hit to help them get through the challenges of the coming months. 

Now that we are in the middle of the winter it is crucial that communities remember those still in need after the “Storm of the Century” left so many people devastated with almost nowhere else to turn for assistance.

Baltimore Celebrates Channukah with Local Organizations

Last week, the Baltimore Jewish community celebrated the fourth night of Channukah with local organizations such as CERT, Shomrim, Chaverim and Hatzalah.

Shomrim VP Ronnie Rosenbluth served as MC, beginning the event with Frank Storch, who lit the first candle.

Here is a video from the event:

Frank Storch Launches Welcome Home! Carnival

Last month, Young Israel of Wavecrest and Bayswater joined forces with Frank Storch’s Chesed Fund and Project Ezra to launch a ‘Welcome Home!’ carnival for children and families affected by Hurricane Sandy.  

Frank Storch explained: “We worked closely with the Baywater community after Hurricane Sandy devastated them. We transported emergency generators, gas cans, and lanterns. But now, this fantastic community, especially the children, need a break. We intend to bring them some good, cheerful fun!”

The story was mentioned in the Jewish Press’s Community Currents.