From jails to hospitals around the country, Lecheires is the Jewish family for those without family of their own.
‘Sir, your family is here to see you’. For those who are unfortunately behind bars or bed-ridden in hospitals and nursing homes, there is nothing more exciting than hearing these words and knowing that for at least a short period of time, you will feel cared for and be relevant again. Even hearing ‘we received a package for you’ can brighten up the otherwise-gloomy days of these forgotten members of society.
But what about those who have no family or whose families are unable to care for them full-time? Who caters to those Neshamos who fell through the cracks? This question gnawed at Shauly Roth when in 2012 he founded Lecheires, a volunteer organization tending to the needs of prisoners and providing support with whatever means possible.
Back then, the scope was limited. Volunteers would become aware of a person in need and they would go down in their free time to just talk, bring some food and shine a sliver of light into the darkest places. Soon enough, the phone started ringing off the hook. A person in need of Tefilin. Someone who wanted to keep kosher and needed financial assistance. A Baal Teshuva yearning for a chavrusa. The list kept growing and growing. Lecheires was never an organization to say no so, of course, every request was answered in the affirmative. The volunteers and leadership were stretching themselves thin but turning a blind eye was never an option.
With time, an entire new sort of prisoner came on to Lecheires’ radar. These were our brothers and sisters holed up in hospitals who yearned for a semblance of everyday life and for someone to just smile their way. The requests would pour in from around the country and Lecheires, true to their dedicated mission, would fly volunteers to far-flung locales to fulfill these wishes.
These days, Lecheires’ services span far and wide. Over 250 volunteers service thousands of our brethren around the country. Lecheires has filled a void and has now become the #1 destination for the often-boring and overlooked Chesed needs of Yidden in prisons and hospitals. Lecheires also responds to pleas from those who are blessed to have loving families but often need someone else to come in and lend a hand Despite all this, Lecheires has never strayed from its founding mission to be a beacon of light to those in dire circumstances who suffer in solitude with no family of their own. Today, Lecheires is their family!
People often ask about the relevance of the word ‘cheires’ to the work that we do. After all, the vast majority of our efforts do not assist in obtaining actual freedom for our brothers who are caught up with the law. Our response is that freedom also exists beyond its meaning in a material sense. When we sit at our Seder table on Pesach, we engage in expressions of Cheires. Despite our personal hardships, we are ‘Bnei Choiren’ as we sit surrounded with family in an elevated state. Lecheires brings this sort of freedom to our Jewish family in prisons and hospitals. We might not be able to deliver them to freedom but we sure can bring a taste of Cheires to them!
We have always been there to answer a yid’s plea for help, but today it is Lecheires who turns to you with a plea for assistance. While our organization mostly depends on the generosity of our volunteers, our once-minimal expenses have ballooned into a budget that we can’t possibly cover on our own. The costs of our office staff and communication systems are just the tip of the iceberg. With full-time vehicles on the road and flights to prisons and hospitals all over the USA, our travel expenses run in to the tens of thousands of dollars. We have also began paying Talmudei Chachamim to learn with people who request to have Chavrusas despite their tough conditions. The cost of food is also nothing to scoff at, especially since we often need to fund the commissary accounts of Jews who wish to have access to fruits, vegetables and other kosher food (the commissary is best described as a prison canteen).
In the earlier years, Lecheires’ leadership would bear the burden of these costs. But this has become unsustainable. As the costs rise, Lecheires finds itself at a critical crossroad. This holy work cannot go on without the assistance of our benevolent community. Our volunteers work hard, to no personal benefit of their own, to continue on with their mission. But we need funding to be able to continue with our vital Avodas Hakodesh.
As we stand in the holy days of Chanukah, it is our sincerest hope that Klal Yisroel will help us shine a little light into the hearts of our brothers and sisters who find themselves confined to a prison cell or hospital bed. There is no bigger mitzvah than supporting Hashem’s kids who find themselves in a state of despondence.
Please join our campaign and donate generously to this vital cause. It is certain that the zchus of this mitzvah will be of great merit to you and your family. Hashem should help that you should never know of any pain or anguish and may you be blessed with only simcha, nachas and bracha.
Thank you.
{Matzav.com}
