Dear Federation Friends,
Normally, I would not email you on a Chag or as the sun sets on Shabbat, but feel compelled by the devastation San Bruno has suffered to enlist your help to address the emergency in our community. As you know by now, yesterday, as we began to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, our new year, our Bay Area community was struck by a natural gas line explosion that ignited a tragic fire in San Bruno.
Many families have lost their homes and are in urgent need of our help. Our Peninsula synagogues are already involved on the front lines with financial and volunteer assistance. At Federation, we are working to locate and ensure the safety of all Federation members in the area as well.
Before we can relish in the New Year, we need to acknowledge, sympathize with and help those who have suffered so terribly in this tragedy. Whether it be a local, national or international emergency, one of our greatest strengths as a Jewish community is our ability to quickly mobilize to help those in need. I would ask that we do as we always have done - reach out and respond.
An emergency fund is open now at the Federation and will be available to receive donations online on or before Monday at Jewishfed.org from which donations will be directly distributed to the most effective service providers in the Jewish and general communities; please continue to check our web site. Meanwhile, please mail your donations now directly to The Jewish Community Federation - San Bruno Emergency Fund, 121 Steuart Street, San Francisco, CA 94105.
To donate blood: please visit Blood Centers of the Pacific.
To donate supplies: volunteers and organizers say they are in need of diapers, blankets, shoes, towels and children's clothing. Donations can be dropped off at the San Bruno Recreation Center at 251 City Park Way in San Bruno. The Red Cross and Salvation Army are also set up at Bayhill Shopping Center, 851 Cherry Avenue San Bruno, to provide victim assistance.
