As seen in the September 1, 2006 issue:
‘Avigdor’s Helping Hand’ Inaugural Awareness Event On Labor Day
By Rochelle Maruch Miller
To have known Avigdor Glaser, z’l, was to love him. A devoted family man, he was adored by his wife, Frumi, and their three young children and beloved by his parents and siblings. Blessed with the ability to excel in all of his endeavors, Avigdor was a warm and compassionate young man who touched the lives of all who knew him. After studying in Merkaz HaTorah in Eretz Yisrael, he pursued his under-graduate studies at Queens College, and then went on to Fordham Law School, where he graduated at the top of his class. Brilliant and gifted, yet unassuming and personable, Avigdor was a successful bankruptcy attorney at a prestigious downtown Manhattan firm. Above all else, he was the very essence of a ben Torah.
Tragically, Avigdor passed away last September, following a valiant year-long battle with cancer. Shortly after his petirah, his grief-stricken family, still numbed by their irreparable loss, met to discuss how they could best perpetuate Avigdor’s cherished memory. “At that time, there were three other families who were in situations similar to that of my sister-in-law, Frumi,” explained Sruli Glaser, Avigdor’s younger brother. “Each of the families had suffered the loss of their husband and father, and was overwhelmed with grief and chaos. Frumi felt that the most fitting legacy to memorialize her beloved husband would be an organization that would offer comfort to grieving families during a time of chaos and intense pain. Thus, “Avigdor’s Helping Hand” was founded. “We want to be the first phone call that a family makes when tragedy strikes, r”l,” Sruli declares. “Avigdor’s Helping Hand is a disaster-relief chesed. Part of the essential quality of our organization is to be there immediately, during those first moments. We have established a committee to evaluate each applicant with the utmost degree of confidentiality and sensitivity. “We step in immediately with a cash stipend to provide the spouse and children with financial and emotional support. We usually expect to be involved with each case for about six months. After the first month, we issue a second stipend to cover the next two months, followed by a third stipend that will cover the fourth, fifth, and sixth months. While we hope that the family can ‘stand on their own’ after six months, in the event that they cannot, we will coordinate with community organizations that can provide longer-term assistance for these families. For those families who have reestablished them-selves financially and wish to use the stipends as a short-term loan, we will recycle the funds and disburse them to other families who are in need. ”Sruli emphasizes the importance of purchasing life insurance. “It isn’t something that young people usually think of, but it’s vital for every member of our community to take advantage of. Every head-of-family has a responsibility and an obligation to provide for his wife and children, regardless of how young he and his family may be. We hear of so many instances where a tragedy strikes without warning, and the family, after suffering a devastating loss, is left without any source of income, leaving them little choice but to turn to family and friends, and often to the community at large. ”Unique in its noble mission, Avigdor’s Helping Hand serves as a beacon of hope amid a sea of despair, as it provides succor and support to families bereft of their loved ones. A chesed organization like no other, Avigdor’s Helping Hand provides immediate, short-term relief, both financial and non-financial, to families who have sustained the recent loss of their primary breadwinner. The money is discretionary and may be used to off-set any expense, such as food, housing costs, mortgage payments, child care, utility bills, etc. Non-financial assistance provides for such services as paying for grief and bereavement counselors to provide their services to the families; making volunteers available to help the families in any way possible, including assisting in organizing finances (this includes guiding the surviving spouse in the basic concepts of how to make payments and balance check books); conversing with banks to restructure debt; and assisting with children’s homework. A.H.H. also communicates with the myriad community organizations that need to be involved with the families for their needs on a long-term basis. And by educating the public on the importance of purchasing and maintaining life-insurance policies and other instruments that are vital to serving family members, Avigdor’s Helping Hand promotes awareness of the need for long-term planning. “Losing Avigdor was like losing a brother,” says Dov Elias, who serves on A.H.H.’s Board of Directors. “I knew Avigdor since before I can remember, and we remained life long true friends. He was a very special person, and Avigdor’s Helping Hand is a fitting legacy. It’s a really unique opportunity to get involved with something that is so rewarding and keeps his memory alive. ”The family and friends of Avigdor Glaser, a”h, cordially invite you to attend the Inaugural Awareness Event
of Avigdor’s Helping Hand. Join our community in supporting this vital project by attending the Labor Day Barbecue on Monday, September 4, at7:00 p.m. at The White Shul(Knesseth Israel), 728 Empire Blvd. in Far Rockaway. Readers who would like to help Avigdor’s Helping Hand in any capacity, as well as anyone wishing to make reservations or obtain additional information, should call 347-424-4926 or visit www.avigdorshelpinghand.org. Tizku l’mitzvos!