Olivia Cornfield: Ensuring Health and Shelter

Today I simply observed. I noticed the people and places around me. By looking into people's eyes, I began to humanize the strangers surrounding me. I took note when I saw people smile and I noticed when people would sneer. But most importantly, I looked into people’s eyes. In doing so, I was able to develop a sense of empathy towards people I had never noticed before. I began to think about their lives and their own wellbeing. And I realized that as humans, it is vital that we all look into the eyes of a stranger from time to time and just notice them. If they happen to look straight back into your own eyes with hope and desperation, simply asking for a helping hand, you must notice them and offer your help because we are all in this together.

Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, a German Philosopher, once said “Nothing great in this world has ever been accomplished without passion.” Being on the South Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation (SPJTF) for the past two years has given me the opportunity to experience the power a group of teens obtain when motivated solely by their intense passion for repairing the world.

The SPJTF provides Jewish teens with the techniques required to become successful philanthropists. To begin our yearlong process of fundraising and grant making decisions, we collectively construct a mission statement.

Creating our mission statement is a difficult task because the entire board must come to consensus in order to establish a passionate and empowered community of teens.

Our mission statement this year is “to fund programs that provide and support the advocacy of health and shelter for disadvantaged populations including, but not limited to, those in the Bay Area and Israel. Our focus will be on programs that empower individuals to help themselves.”

Since we are volunteer run foundation, all of the funds received will go directly towards the organizations we decide to grant. Last year, the board raised over 60,000 dollars and our goal this year is 72,000 dollars. My personal goal this year is 3,000 dollars.

Your donation is tax deductible and will be doubled with an 11,000-dollar grant. Like all of fellow board members, I have made a personal contribution.

Please consider donating to the South Peninsula Jewish Teen Foundation by April 20th! You can give whatever sum you feel comfortable with.

Thank you so much for your time and consideration!