Dear Bernard Betel Centre Community,
I want to personally thank everyone who responded to my call last month and donated in support of our Kosher Meals on Wheels program. I am deeply grateful for the support we have received so far. The reality is, we urgently need to raise more funds. Our ticket sales and fundraising campaign for the Lifetime Achievement Award for Artistic Excellence, honouring the great Leonard Cohen posthumously, is currently behind where we need it to be, and the demand for assistance continues to grow daily.
In order for Betel to continue to feed the over 450 Jewish seniors and Holocaust survivors that we know of in our community living in poverty, we must raise over $1.1 million this year. The need is urgent, and we cannot do this without your immediate support. For those who know me, I do not make these requests lightly or regularly.
I am asking that you support our efforts by donating online through CanadaHelps or by calling our Reception Desk at 416 225 2112 Ext. 0. You are welcome to donate by attending our upcoming event honouring Leonard Cohen, being held on Monday, June 15, at the Leah Posluns Theatre. Tickets can be purchased through Eventbrite, or by calling the Bernard Betel Centre Reception Desk. Reserved Seating and the Pre-Concert Wine Reception are at 6:00 PM with the concert at 7:00 PM. Reserved Seating tickets are $180 (with a $100 tax receipt allowance), and General Admission is $72 for the concert only.
If you are interested in Sponsorship opportunities, I would be happy to discuss these with you. We have Sponsorship levels available at $15,000, $10,000, $5,000 and $1,800.
With your help, we can bring a meal to a senior who may not be able to afford one. Yes, in our great city of Toronto, we have Jewish seniors who are food insecure and cannot afford nutritious, Kosher food. We are so blessed to have 45 caring volunteer drivers who, every day, knock on doors to deliver these meals. They bring much more than food. They bring comfort, dignity, and a heartfelt reminder that they are cared for by their community.
These acts may seem simple, but for the nearly 500 seniors we support, they mean everything. Many live on limited incomes, and for some, that knock on the door may be their only human connection all day.
If you have already given, thank you from the bottom of my heart. If you are able to give again, or increase your gift, or encourage a friend or family member to support this campaign, it would mean so much. Every contribution helps us keep this lifeline going. We are a community that looks after our most vulnerable. With your help, we will continue to do exactly that.
With heartfelt thanks,
Gail Gould
Executive Director
