The Brazilian charitable organization “Ten Yad” (Lend a Hand) has inaugurated its new national headquarters in São Paulo, marking a major stride forward in providing hunger relief in a nation where 20 percent of the population—some 40 million people—live under the poverty line, including an estimated 8,000 Jews.
The new center—donated by philanthropist Joseph Safra in memory of his mother, Esther Safra—will house a large new soup kitchen, an events hall, a synagogue, auditorium, activity rooms for the needy and the organization's management offices.
Safra paid tribute to his mother and her legacy of caring for the needy in Lebanon. “I have seen how ‘Ten Yad’ started, and how it has developed and grown inspired by the values of Judaism, and I am proud to be part of its expansion,” he said.
Rabbi Dovid Weitman, Chabad-Lubavitch emissary in São Paulo and chief rabbi of the Sephardic community center there, said the new center was prompted by the desire to ensure that those suffering from poverty “should not live on the margins of society, but should be empowered to participate socially, and to celebrate their own family life-cycle events in dignity, with pride.”
The new soup kitchen, Refertorio Eshel Menachem, which today offers far more than soup to the needy, was dedicated in the memory of the Rebbe, Rabbi Menachem M. Schneerson, of righteous memory.
At the heart of "Ten Yad" is a group of devoted volunteers who help the organization carry out its mission throughout the year, enabling the distribution of more than 700 tons of food across the country annually, with 2,500 hot meals distributed daily in São Paolo alone.
From its beginnings in 1992, “Ten Yad” has developed close relationships and cooperation with many other welfare organizations in Brazil, and currently provides a wide range of social and financial assistance to those in need.
The organization cares for the needs of the elderly and disabled, sending more than 80,000 hot “Meals on Wheels” each year directly to the homes of those unable to reach the soup kitchen. Working with government agencies, the organization also reaches into the city’s slum neighborhoods, providing vital relief to hunger-stricken residents.
Clothing for needy families is also readily at hand, as well as assistance for brides who cannot afford the accoutrements of a customary Jewish wedding. Anonymous financial aid is given in the form of emergency loans and educational scholarships. The organization provides shelter for the homeless, rehabilitation programs for the ill and aid for prison inmates. For those who need more than physical and material sustenance, social workers offer counseling and guidance.
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