Tuesday, December 23, 2014

275,000 reasons to say Thank You for an amazing 2014!

As 2014 comes to an end, I would like to personally thank you for being such a great supporter of our work. Thanks to you, we at Gabriel Project Mumbai (GPM) have been able to achieve some absolutely incredible things, making a real difference in the lives of ONE THOUSAND children in the slums of Mumbai, and help change the trajectory of their lives.

Thanks to you, we were able to deliver 275,000 hot, nutritious, fresh meals to children in schools as part of
our special “Eat to Learn” program. Yes, that’s right. We delivered 275,000 meals to children in schools, made fresh every day by the REAP women’s cooperative with the support of GPM volunteers, meals specifically suited to the nutritional, developmental and educational needs of the children, ages 3-14. That’s a lot of meals. When the children receive hot meals in school, they go to learn instead of going to work. We are so proud of this accomplishment, and we could not have done it without you.

Here are a few more snapshots of our work in 2014:

•    1,000 children. That’s how many children received hot, nutritious meals in school thanks to the GPM “Eat to Learn” program. Read more about it here.

•     140 women. That’s how many women in the food cooperative now have a growing business and increasing economic stability, enabling them to support their families and strengthen the slum community. Read more about it here.

•     50 international volunteers. That’s how many young Jewish adults from around the world participated in the GPM-JDC-Entwine program in the slums in 2014 – over 100 altogether to date. Read more about it here.

•     20 Indian Jewish interns. That’s how many young Jewish adults from Mumbai worked with GPM in the slums. Read more about it here.

•    50% attendance increase. That’s how the “Eat to Learn” program affected children’s ability to come to school instead of going to work. As Bill Clinton said, when there is hot food in school, children learn to read. Read more about it here.

•     825,000 learning hours. That’s how many hours of learning took place because children are attending school at higher rates.

•     600 volunteer hours. That’s how many hours GPM volunteers added to the children’s learning program at the classes of our partner organization REAP, delivering informal classes in subjects such as English, Math, Science, Geography and Hygiene. Read more about it here.

•     1,000 sets of clean teeth. The GPM H.E.A.L. Hygiene Program that was launched in 2014 – a volunteer-led innovation and initiative – ensured that 1000 children received toothbrushes, toothpaste, soap, and lessons in health and oral hygiene. Read more about it here.

•    4,000 pieces of fruit. That’s how many fruits GPM now delivers each month to the children in school, thanks to a special Fruit for Kids campaign, supported by the Good People Fund. The nutrients and health benefits of fruit are invaluable.  Read more about it here.

We could not have done all this without you! THANK YOU!

As 2014 comes to a close and you plan your end-of-year giving, please think of GPM. We are counting on your support to continue to do our vital work.

One thousand children and 140 women in the slums of Mumbai are counting on your support.

THANK YOU and best wishes for a wonderful and fruitful 2015

Best,
Jacob Sztokman
Founding Director
Gabriel Project Mumbai

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