Dear Friends,
If ever there was a time to serve our communities, it is now. 
I write to share an update on some of the immediate steps we are taking at the Harold Grinspoon Foundation in light of COVID-19.
 

We are Working Remotely

We have shifted the Foundation’s operations to remote work so our staff can heed the call for physical distancing. We have canceled all upcoming conferences, banquets, travel, and in-person meetings.

We are Extending Support and Flexibility

We are offering flexibility with grant timelines and deliverables, and assuring grantees that our financial commitments remain secure. Our mentors are increasing their outreach and offers of support to help with virtual facilitations, coaching and assistance with contingency planning and fundraising.  We are developing webinars for our grantees and partners to address special circumstances brought on by this pandemic and how best to serve the needs of our community.
 

We Remain on Course to Deliver PJ Library Books and Resources

We have PJ Library books stocked in warehouses and ready to go as scheduled this month, next month, and the month after. We are doing everything in our control to deliver books to PJ Library families without interruption. If problems arise, we will communicate them.

PJ Library Is Offering Even More Resources to Families at Home

We have created a new online hub, PJ Library Resources for Quarantined Families, to provide families with a host of activities and resources for their children.  We are promoting the hub through collaborations with UJA-NY, the Jewish Education Project, the Foundation for Jewish Camp, and others. Please share with all of your networks.

The PJ Library Facebook page is hosting a daily schedule of live readings, craft demonstrations and sing-a-longs, virtual field trips and more for kids.  We’ll also offer resources and activities for housebound parents. Please check it out; we update it often. 

We are piloting virtual interactive experiences with partners; this past weekend, for example, PJ Library in NY ran a program in partnership with the Marlene Meyerson JCC Manhattan that had families playing, singing, and doing an at-home scavenger hunt virtually but together. We will continue to share and disseminate ideas across the extensive PJ Library program professionals’ network. 

We Continue to Support Our Local Western Massachusetts Community

While we won’t be gathering local college students for entrepreneurship celebrations or recognizing the teachers of Western Massachusetts at our annual awards banquets this spring, the Harold Grinspoon Charitable Foundation is developing plans to celebrate our many award winners nonetheless. We continue to issue grant awards, including our Local Farmer Awards, and we are staying in close communication with local grantee organizations and philanthropic partners.

The next few weeks will require us to band together and rely on one another like never before. We look forward to embracing our collective responsibility to one another.
We send our very best wishes to each of you and look forward to the next time we can be with you in person. Until then, please stay in touch, and we will too.
Warm regards,





Winnie Sandler Grinspoon