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There are 720 hours in a month. Can you spare 2?

In coming weeks girls and women from the Lakewood community will have the opportunity to volunteer 2 hours a month to the freshly launched Sorah Gluck Respite Program, an innovative resource intended to provide respite for those with hospitalized family members. 

What are its goals and what does volunteering involve? We asked its co-founders, Mrs. Miriam Gross and Miss Frayde Yudkowsky to tell us about this exciting and unique new project.

Can you begin by explaining why you both became involved with this program?

MG: We both came to the concept from different places. The program is named after my beloved mother Mrs. Sarah Gluck a”h from Chicago who was nifteres this past June. She was a tremendous baalas chesed who personally involved herself in countless chasodim – Tomchei Shabbos, Bikkur Cholim, Chevra Kadisha, troubled teens, Hachnosas Kallah and more. (By the way she was a most devoted mother too!). She actually managed to unearth cases that no one got to hear of, and routinely gave people what they needed before they’d even thought of it themselves! She continued this avodas hakodesh when she was critically ill.; she never stopped giving.

Following the petira, my siblings and I were anxious to create a zchus for her neshama through emulating something that she did. This wasn’t easy as she was attached to so many causes. Doing a chesed for the sick was understandably one of the ideas suggested as our mother was selflessly devoted to the sick and their families, visiting the patients, negotiating with doctors, providing for all the needs of the families of the invalids. And of course davening with all her heart for a true recovery for every sick person she heard of.

An additional reason for choosing a project connected with the sick arose from the fact that throughout her sickness we – as a family – had been determined never to leave our mother without personal supervision during her extended months of hospitalization. This is something we were very committed to and boruch Hashem we were able to fulfill our resolve although it was not always easy.  This led us to the realization that that establishing a respite program for the families of those in the hospital would be very beneficial to others in similar situations. 

FY: As someone who has been very actively involved in numerous chesed organizations since I was in high school, I repeatedly noticed that there is a shortage of hospital respite help available in Lakewood and its surrounding areas. This of course is not to discount the incredible work done by CHAI Lifeline whose main emphasis is children or Mekimi, who do a fantastic job cheering-up the bedridden. 

I have personally spent many hours and even nights in hospitals giving respite to family members and having seen how valuable this can be, I elected to enroll others to do the same. Fortuitously I was put in touch with Mrs. Gross who shares my aspirations and we began to investigate its possibilities, eventually joining-up with Bikur Cholim of Lakewood who are standing enthusiastically behind us. We are now ready to recruit volunteers and will be holding an inaugural event on December 7. 

What is the benefit of having a volunteer at the bedside with a patient?

FY: Since I am still single I have been able to offer respite to the families of those in the hospital at times that others find it hard, especially on Shabbos, Yom Tov and other occasions when families need to regroup. It should be stressed that as well as helping the patient and providing a “break” for the family, the family gets a powerful emotional boost from knowing that others care. 

A particular need for respite concerns the children that are hospitalized; even if their condition is stable the children usually don’t want to be left alone, yet parents are not always able to stay 24/7. CHAI Lifeline offers respite in these situations, but they focus heavily on CHOP (Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia) and Robert Woods Johnson Hospital (New Brunswick) whereas we will be sending volunteers both for children (boys up to 9) and women in local hospitals. We are grateful to the staff at the hospitals who are excited and supportive of our project. 

Do volunteers need to fulfill any requirements? Is age a factor?

FY: Even high school girls who aren’t too busy will be very welcome to volunteer their time.  Clearly mothers of young families have less time available, but they –and anyone else - can definitely help by offering to drive a volunteer to a hospital if that is needed. 

MG: Really anyone with free-time can be involved. Newly-weds that are working part-time, stay at home  moms who have their mornings free, empty-nesters – there are probably many women who will welcome this as an opportunity to do chesed. Those who’ve recently come to the community may see it as a way to get involved. Post-seminary girls that are free in the evenings will be a valuable resource in the more difficult hours. 

FY: Of course some “cases” will be more challenging than others, so we will act as a type of “shadchan” here. We will allocate cases in a way that is appropriate to each patient and each volunteer. 

The Sarah Gluck Respite Program sounds as if it will be a great asset to the Lakewood community. Do you have any words of encouragement for a potential volunteer?

MG: The satisfaction that you get from helping a patient and its family is eternal. Knowing what good deed you are doing by volunteering provides you with a tremendous feeling of fulfillment. 

FY: I can’t emphasize enough the difference even a couple of hours of respite can make for families watching-over their loved ones in the hospital. I had the big zchus of helping the Brisk family when their daughter Suri a”h, who was my school-friend was hospitalized for an extended period following a terrible accident.  Whether I stayed with her for an hour or a whole Shabbos, her mother Mrs. Breindy Brisk was always effusive in her thanks and gratitude for all the help she received. Mrs. Brisk will iyh be speaking at our inaugural event on the impact that a volunteer can make. Mrs. Debbie Selengut, who knew Mrs. Gluck will inspire us on the topic “Chesed: Can one person really make a difference”? 

But in addition to what the families – and in many cases the cholim themselves – gain from a volunteer, anyone who helps a family in a hospital is automatically filled with the satisfaction that doing chesed brings. I walk out of that hospital feeling rejuvenated and inspired every time. There’s no question that being active in chesed for others makes a person feel good. The real truth is that I’ve found again and again that as much I’m doing chesed to help others, I feel that I’m the main recipient of its blessings. 

The Sarah Gluck Respite Program will be holding its Inaugural Event on Motzoi Shabbos Dec 7 at Congregation Ishay Yisroel, 110 Miller Rd. (corner of Central Ave) at 8.30 p.m.