With your help the MJRH program is now making a difference. Together we have:
- Distributed over 5,000 meals a year
- Took over 520 emergency calls
- Distributed over 62,000 pairs of socks, 5,000 t-shirts, 1,200 jackets & 275 TTC tokens
- Teamed up with other high support agencies and encouraged people to work towards more positive lifestyles
MJRH History
Initially, with the creation of The Mobile Jewish Response to the Homeless, Aboriginal and Jewish Canadians came together to work side by side. The MJRH worked in co-ordination with the Native Men’s Residence STREET HELP program. By March 2001, Ve’ahavta rolled out the first mobile Jewish homeless outreach program outside of Israel. This initiative was made possible through the generous support of a Toronto private family foundation and Mills & Hadwin Ltd. Today, Ve’ahavta volunteers are out on the streets with our own van and drivers 3 days a week.
MJRH Philosophy
- Every human being on this earth is valuable and deserves the basic necessities of life.
- Compassion and encouragement build self-esteem.
People are on the streets for a reason. Whether it is due to mental illness, addictions, or an inability to cope at any given time, until “getting off the streets” is an option, survival assistance is needed. Our skilled and compassionate staff search the streets, sidewalks, back alleys, ravines, and bridges to reach out and develop relationships with youth and adults who have made the outdoors their home.
In most cases, the person sitting on the sidewalk requires more than food and clothing, they also require another human’s time and compassion. This is when our outreach professionals use their unique communication skills to help them believe, if but for a moment, that they are worthy of respect. The more we can foster self-respect, the more believable the option of moving inside becomes.
The cargo on the MJRH van contains survival necessities such as clothing, toiletries, eyeglasses, resource materials, sandwiches, hot coffee, and snacks. We also carry gift baskets of everyday necessities, provided by your participation in our Bnei Mitzvah and Simcha Basket programs. These are tools we use to accelerate the development of relationships with people society has all but forgotten.
Our Volunteers
We encourage all members of the “housed” community, aged 12 and up, to join us in making a difference.
Our volunteers deepen their understanding with this disheartening social malaise. They quickly discover the misconceived “us and them” perspective is in reality just “us”. Sensitivity toward others is heightened and their personal will to respond is activated.
I never really thought about how homeless people lived and behaved. Now, I understand they are much like any other people but [they] don’t have much hope … most were friendly and polite and extremely grateful for the aid. — Ross Casey, MJRH volunteer
Ve’ahavta depends on our volunteers to help deliver this vital service.
MJRH Schedule
- Tuesday evenings 6:00 PM - midnight
- Wednesday and Thursday mornings 6:00 AM - 1:00 PM
- Sunday mornings 8:00 AM - 2:00 PM
Volunteers register for one shift at a time through the Ve’ahavta office by calling (416) 964-7698.
Depending on the season, shifts are booked 2-4 weeks in advance.
Each shift can accommodate a maximum of three volunteers.
Financial Costs
Delivery of this vital service is not free. Each 8-hour shift of the MJRH Van costs Ve’ahavta approximately $400.00.
This program is valuable both to volunteers and to those we assist. Please help Ve’ahavta keep the Mobile Jewish Response to the Homeless on the road. Consider donating one of the following amounts:
- $400 to sponsor a full 8-hour shift
- $200 half shift
- $100 quarter shift
- $72 4 X Chai
- $36 2 X Chai
- $18 Chai
- Another amount
Donate online, by phone at 416-964-7698 Ext. 21, or by sending a cheque (payable to Ve’ahavta MJRH) to:
Ve’ahavta: The Canadian Jewish Humanitarian and Relief Committee
2221 Yonge St. Suite LL12
Toronto, Ontario
M4S 2B4
Canada