When should I send a package?
We suggest that you send your first package as soon as possible, to begin to establish a relationship with your recipient. After that, we hope that you will be able to send a package at least four times a year. We recommend sending packages at holiday times, as isolation, poor health, or lack of means make holiday times particularly difficult for some recipients.
What should I send?
There are many possibilities. When interviewing our recipients, our social worker obtains information on the recipient's needs and interests, and that information is provided to you in this packet. Please be guided by the information about your recipient, as well as these general suggestions. If you have questions about the appropriateness of an item you wish to send, please contact us. Following are some suggested items that you might include in your packages.Clothing - Gently used clothing is fine, but please be sure that it is clean and in very good condition; as a rule of thumb, don’t send it if you wouldn’t wear it. Besides your own closet, check with friends and relatives who might have items they no longer use. We also recommend that you send clothing that is machine washable, so that our recipients do not have to bear the cost of dry cleaning.
- Personal Hygiene Items - There is always a need for these items. Perhaps you have cosmetic bonuses or hotel toiletries that you can pass on.
- Food - Nonperishable food items are always welcome. It’s particularly nice to remember the holidays, and holiday foods can be both practical and meaningful.
- Household Items - Bedding, towels, small appliances (toaster ovens, hair dryers, coffee makers, etc.). You can often find these items inexpensively at garage or rummage sales.
- School Supplies - If there are children in your recipient's family, consider school supplies such as paper, pencils, pens, crayons, markers, book covers, or backpacks.
- Toys - For those with children, toys are always a great choice, as children often come up short when the family has to prioritize their spending on basic necessities.
- Gift cards - Gift cards from supermarkets, discount stores, department stores, or office product or building supply companies are an excellent choice, allowing your recipient to purchase items that are most needed.
- Other suggestions - Consider sending books, a magazine subscription, or coupons to the local movie theater. CD’s or DVD’s are good choices if your recipient has a player. Even a sheet of postage stamps is welcomed by many recipients. If you would like to send a Shabbat meal, or flowers to mark a special event, such as a birthday, please contact our office to discuss how you can arrange this.
Must items be new?
No. While new items are always appreciated, used items (clothing, toys, household items, etc.) are fine for inclusion. Please ensure that the items are clean and that they are in the condition in which you yourself would use them.
Do I need to include any correspondence with my package?
We encourage our sponsors and recipients to correspond. Many of our sponsors and recipients report that the correspondence they maintain with each other provides its own reward in addition to the package contents. Many of our recipients are isolated, and the correspondence provides a much appreciated social connection. Our sponsors report that they feel greater satisfaction in getting to know their recipients and seeing that a specific person or family is benefiting from their participation in the M’Yad L’Yad program. Send holiday cards, recipes, stories of your childhood, your opinion of movies or TV shows you’ve seen, or any other information which your recipient might enjoy reading.
What about the issue of anonymity?
To ensure the privacy and dignity of sponsors and recipients, we ask you to use only first names in correspondence. It is quite acceptable to tell a little about yourself and your family and share events in your life. However, be careful to screen what you write so that nothing is mentioned that would reveal your identity or address. If you are shipping on behalf of an organization, please do not identify your group, though you are welcome to state that the items are coming from a school class, synagogue organization, or other group. Should you have any questions about this important issue, please contact us to discuss and resolve any concerns.
How do I make a shipment?
You should pack the items in a carton that is sealed and ready to be shipped. It is important that you include a green Recipient Acknowledgment Postcard. Do not place any name or address information on the package. Bring the package to any of our conveniently located mailing centers and identify yourself as a M’Yad L’Yad-Helping Hands sponsor. Provide the code number for your recipient (this number is on your Recipient Information Sheet) and the mailing center will then ship the package to the correct address. M’Yad L’Yad is paying for shipping charges for packages sent, thanks to the efforts of our board and generosity of our donors. We hope that with this support, our sponsors will be able to provide “more in the box” for their recipients. Please note that we are not able to pay for shipping supplies or packing fees.
If you are only sending gift cards or other items that fit into an envelope rather than a box, you can ask the shipping center to send these through the mail with first class postage rather than paying package shipping charges.
In the rare situation where you want to send a package of significant size or weight that is beyond the limits set by UPS, we may be able to arrange to have the item picked up and delivered to your recipient. Contact us to discuss this further.
How do I know if my package has been received?
The first step, as noted above, is to include the green Recipient Acknowledgment Postcard with your package, which your recipient will use to notify us that your package has been received. The next step is for you to notify us that you have made a shipment, either by sending an e-mail to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , or by faxing or mailing a yellow Shipment Notification Postcard to our office. With this information, we can watch for an acknowledgment from your recipient that the package has been received. When we receive the Recipient Acknowledgment Postcard, we will then pass it on to you along with new cards for the next shipment. If you have not received confirmation of your package receipt after two or three weeks, call or e-mail us and we will follow up.
I’ve received a request from my recipient that I am unable to meet, but I don't want to ignore the request. What should I do?
Contact us. We may know of a source to provide what your recipient needs. While we can’t meet all requests, we make every effort to assist our recipients when their needs are beyond the normal types of items that our sponsors can provide.
From the correspondence I’ve received, I can tell that my recipient needs assistance besides material items. Can you help with that?
Many of our recipients need medical assistance, help with transportation, support in navigating government programs, or other forms of assistance, and they may mention this in their correspondence with you. We make every effort to refer our recipients to social service agencies, government agencies, or other organizations that may be able to help. As mentioned previously, we do screen correspondence from our recipients, so we are likely already aware and working on providing referral assistance to your recipient. However, if you have any questions in this regard, please contact us and alert us to your concerns.
Is there anything else I can do to support M’Yad L’Yad?
Of course, our primary focus is on your relationship with your recipient. But we are always looking for additional support, including volunteer work and financial contributions. If you would like to explore other possible areas of involvement with M’Yad L’Yad, please contact us and we would be happy to discuss this with you.
What if I have any other questions?
Please call or e-mail us, and we will assist you. Click on the Contact tab above for our contact information. You are the heart of M’Yad L’Yad. You are the ones who provide for the needy in our communities. It is our commitment to do whatever we can to help you with your participation, and it is our pleasure to do so.
