A fifteen-year-old girl just had back surgery and has to lie in bed for three months. She’s bored and lonely.
A young woman gives birth to twins– Mazal Tov! — but she also has an eighteen-month-old at home. With grandparents far away, who will give her a break?
A parent is ill and the children are suffering too, they need someone to talk to.
Bais Rivkah High School of Crown Heights has just begun a new chessed project called HOO. HOO stands for Helping Our Own and that’s exactly what this program aims for, to help families within our Crown Heights community.
How did the program start? Crown Heights organizations were lacking volunteers and they needed more Bais Rivkah students to help out. There were mothers who revealed that if only they had a Bais Rivkah student come for an hour here and there and take their children to the park, it would bring them some much needed respite from their hectic schedules. So Beis Rivkah began HOO- a program that would make it exciting and fun for Beis Rivkah girls to HOO (Help Our Own).
The program offers exciting incentives throughout the year for particular amounts of HOO Hours. For example: 30 HOO Hours will earn a student a Six Flags Trip. Also, at the end of the year the students will attend a banquet at which prizes will be auctioned for HOO money (every HOO Hour will be worth ten HOO dollars).
The program is only for the 9th grade and 11th grade. While the 9th grade HOO Volunteers will be volunteering on a weekly basis with the same family, the 11th grade HOO Volunteers will volunteer as the need arises for mothers who give birth or families with a person who is ill. Bais Rivkah hopes to grow the program to include the entire school and then to other high schools as well, but it is starting small so that it can focus on making the program a real hit!
On Sunday, October 6th, the girls joined in an incredible kick-off event. They enjoyed delicious milchig pastas and lasagnas catered by Levi Feigenson as well as salads and ice coffees. They also watched an “HOO for Dummies” video to explain the program step by step.
Following the video, Mrs. Devorah Leah Rosenfeld gave the girls a training session. The girls also decorated hands which will be going up in the HOO Hub (a designated spot in Bais Rivkah for the HOO Kiosks) and had a marvelous evening.
To contact or support HOO or to sponsor a HOO Kiosk please email: [email protected].
If you live in Crown Heights and would like to give HOO a donation by cash or check, we would be happy to pick it up. Just call 916 228 0503.
Everyone, please, let’s all calm down as much as possible, being as at the end of the day hoo is only adding positivity, no reason for the negative. Im sure its understood that although, yes, we should not chas vshalom ever consider a hoo fam “nebach”, foresure not. But, a family who is baruch hashem, hashem MADE THEM LUCKY (not that its their greatness, or their lack of “nebachness”, just that purely hashem blessed them and made them lucky) that they have either more controllable kids/ fam in the hood/ someone already helping out/more money to be able to pay… Read more »
i found the hoo for dummies on youtube if anyone is interested in seeing clearly what us HOO girls are supposed to do and what we are not (seems to be quite a bit of confusion…) link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HpKUfjmpuzE
Not 48
BR girls are NOT free babysitters for “normal” moms who want extra help!! thats taking pure advantage of Hoo!! this is a chesed program and all the families on the list really need the help for wtvr reason. Please try to understand this…if you need a babysitter you are definately expected to pay her…
To all those mothers that say that chesed starts at home: yes you are correct, but all Hoo is asking from your daughters is to give up 1 hour a week!!!! do you think u can let them leave the house for only 1 hr!!! think abt it!!! im sure they can still have time to help with hw, and dishes….
A- you got a problem if you are not going to taught about chesed
B- no one is asking you to do that
C- thats not the defenition of chesed
D- chesed isnt a “program”
and your last line tells us exactly what kind of people are members at hoo.
shame on you.
you are not doing chesed to others you are looking to get paid and make hoo dollars and go to 6flag trips. THAT IS NOT CHESED
wow thats incredibly nice!
keep doing what your doing and bring moshaich now
hoo made an amazing adorable music video that everyone should check out on youtube !!! i have personally watched it countless times in a row !!! ITS ADORABLE and says the message of hoo loud and clear . type in hoo helpingourown official music video on youtube to see it
I LOVE YOU SOO MUCH
GO FRESHMEN!!!
BAIS RIVKA GIRLS ARE SOOO COMITTED! i happen to know there is a whole comitte of girls who worked so hard , together with zeesy and mirel … and they all deserve a STANDING OVATION!
im a hoo member so i want piont out a few things
a– we r not there to be taught about chesed
b- we r not there to do ur dirty work
c- its only for babysiting
d- its a program only for 9th and 11th grade
the other grades have thier own programs
we only do 1 hr b/c we have other priorities such as hw tests babysitting for ppl who actually pay us ect………………..
are totally awesome!!!
love you both!!!!!!!
wish i lived in the HOO neighborhood!
the concept is very great and i am truly grateful that finally someone listened to what i have been telling the girl schools for many years. it is sad though that a ninth grader or even worse an eleven grader had to be taught about chesed and it is disappointing the we take the word chesed and WE the benefactors decide what Chesed means. in truth chesed means anything that the recipient needs and therefore this should be open to all mothers in the community. think about it here chesed could mean you have to help outside the home but… Read more »
You’re such a power-house! Keep up the good work! It’s amazing how you do all this and still do great in school!
Go Raizel And Rochel Deutsch!!!
You guys are doing a great JOb!!!
keep it up.
Hatzlacha
your cousins
Thanks to Rochel and Raizel Deutsch for being so involved and giving themselves over for this tremendous program!! I am sure it will be a great sucess and truly help out our own community, making hashem and the Rebbe so very proud!!
KOL HAKOVOD
So you are making any hoo reciever a “chesed/nebach case” by saying “overwhelm parents” Let me tell,you, each family has a dif case. The one who bh has kids every year. And the one who has extended family and some older kids but her youngest baby is a cryer and must be held all day long…. That mother will appreciate some mature responsible hands to be with that baby or the older kids…. Or that mother who is alone all day bc the husband works and when he comes back he has some chabrusa going on, Normal people can always… Read more »
As usual Sara Blau is using her talents to make the world a better place. Why isnt credit being given where it is due???? Sara, Hashem is the best bookkeeper and may you get your schar in the form of gezunt and nachas from your kids, and parnassah beharchava!
CV
To #15- As a single parent with 3 very small children and no family, Inner Circle was a life savior for me. The 2 girls assigned to me gave lifnim m’ shoras ha-din. They became a part of my family and big sisters to my kids. 15 years later they are still very close to us. In fact my children have helped them on their shlichus when possible. I will never forget the hakeres hatov they showed to me and my children in our dire time of need!
It could be called H2O like water… (two Os) WONDERFUL IDEA, BEIS RIVKAH SPREADING LIGHT IN OUR COMMUNITY
BYLA! has the most amazing chessed program (with a no-talking about you family to your friends rule), that includes: helping mothers that have many (little) children, tutoring, visiting Bubby’s”, babysitting, just going to help big busy families, helping families that have sick family members… and the like.
Im so glad that Bais Rivka is doing this, Im surprised that they didn’t have it yet.
Kol Hakavod to the organizers, everything looked amazing!!!
You are so wrong. Offering to take the kids for a walk when they should be eating supper with mom is NOT a chesed. Coming 1/2 hour later and helping with 1 child while mom tends to another for baths and storytime IS a chesed if that’s what the mom needs. If you are not a single mom, or if you have a perfectly running home and never experienced the need for help, you can’t know how it feels to desperately need help in one area and someone offers to help in an area that is not needed or wanted.… Read more »
from what i understand of the article, HOO is not meant to be a program for a mother with many children who needs help from her highschool daughter-that is obviously important, though. HOO is for the overwhelmed parents who really have no crown heights family or neighbors or cousins to just come around and hold the baby while you whip the house back into shape-its for the homes of families that could pashut use another set of high school girl’s hands and individual attention for the children (achos hatmimim has on their checklist-help at home-thats that! bit HOO is for… Read more »
Your the best!
Your (best;) Detroit Camper!
When the Inner Circle was doing this type of chesed my granddaughters asked to come and help their bubby. It was wonderful having someone come in each week and help prepare for Shabbos.
I’m sure there are other elderly women who would appreciate someone coming in on a regular basis.
LGHS Chicago has done this for several years. They used the model of the two Bais Yaakov schools that have been doing this for decades.
This is a beautiful idea and I wish you much hatzlacha.
One suggestion, some families that need help and are not managing may not be an appropriate place for young high school girls to go. When I was in high school I did chesed for a family where the mother was not coping and would scream at her children and say horrible things. It was very traumatizing. So my suggestion is to make sure the environment is ok for the beis Rivka girls.
true i always tell my kids to help @home 1st charity starts here!!!!
I hear that the amazing, talented, never-out-of-energy, Mrs Sara Blau is coordinating HOO, along with all the other extracurricular programs for BRHS. Good luck to you all!
I’m with you all the way!
Please add into the program, or better yet , make another special program for those girls who help out their very own family, ie helping younger siblings with homework, bathing their siblings…
Many thanks for all the incentives!
HOO is AWESOME!!
Thank you mts lerman
Our community has no eruv. For a mother of an infant, (particularly if she has no mother or mother-in-law in CH to move into their home for Shabbos), this is a difficult and lonely day. If girls are able and ready to give up some davening or socializing time, they could offer moms 1-2 hours, between 10.30 and 12.30 on shabbos to baby sit, and allow these moms to get out, daven and see friends. this would need older girls, as mom would not have a cell phone, and needs to be be comfortable leaving thier baby. This would be… Read more »
go sheeva
This is an amazing program by the girls of bais rivka, it is an amazing concept helping our own it was something lacking before iyh it will be amazing
Thanks for ur feedback. Can you ask girls if they can do sunday?
please make sure that privacy is kept about the families in need. while some are for happy reasons like a birth, others may be hesitant to take help as some girls share with friends private info
Your nieces are so proud of you!!
Love, Chanel
go esther ,goldie ,rikki ,chava, liba, rivka, adina
and to all my br friends from bjj
luv ur bnos menachem friend
Girls who help in their own large family with HW and housework should also be recognized.
The Hoo girls are meant to make up with the parents of their families what time suits best for both schedules. They are here for you!
mrs rosenfeld you’re awsome!!!!!
When I was in 12th grade, The Inner Circle was created which had the same idea. Sadly it only lasted a few years but there are so many families in our community without relatives who can’t afford outside help. Great Job BR!
First help the people in your own backyard and community!
This sounds and looks amazing. The idea of HOO is exactly what Crown Heights needs right now, no shock that Bais Rivkah’s the school to provide for the lacking. GREAT!!
The event (at least from these pictures) looks like it was something to behold. With round tables, and the folders in color coordination- looks like HOO’s off to a stupendous start!
would love to be able to see the HOO logo in large??
HOO is doing the best they can! do you know how hard they work???!!! you have no right to complain when they are doing so much, even if its not exactly what you want.
once again the capable bais rivkah girls come out with a beautiful program to help our community. yasher koach
GOOOOOOOOO ZEESY!!!
MALKIE FEIGENSON!!!!!
It’s a great initiative and I’ve already received a call from one of these girls after the school gave them my information. Just one comment – in order to be truly helpful, the program should ask people what it is they need. The girls announced on the phone that they would come at such and such hour and take the kids out. I explained that my children are young and during that hour they are having dinner and bathing. So yes, the BR girls could help with that,to some degree. But it would be nice as a single parent to… Read more »
so special and greatly needed go bais rivkah
There you go again Bais Rivkah! What a great idea! Always moving forward and bringing light where it’s needed! Hopefully more mosdos will follow suit!
go bais rivkah!
chesed starts here nice!!!!!!!!!!!
you guys rock!
There is a tremendous need for HOO in the community. Girls, remember you can make a huge difference in people’s lives — bravo to you! Much hatzlacha