It was just a regular Shabbos morning in shul and many young boys were playing outside during the reading of the Torah. As the torah was returned and mussaf about to begin, the fathers of the boys outside went out one by one to call them in to daven. I noticed two boys who had not been called in just standing there, something awkward in their pose and I realized that I recognized them. Their parents had been through a difficult divorce and their father no longer lived in the area. Now, there was nobody to call them in.

I watched, waiting. Eventually they looked at each other with dark sad eyes and slowly walked in together to daven mussaf. I almost wept. “We need to do something!”, I thought fiercely to myself. “These children are alone, their mother is alone and there are many others, boys, girls, mothers, fathers, who are struggling along in the same way!” And so, I began to explore the unmet needs and the things that could be done to help, and One Family slowly began to come into existence.

The heartbreaking image of those two boys continues to stay with me. It drives my desire to help provide the pillars of security, love and warmth for our lonely brothers and sisters to whatever degree we can. We can’t change the facts for them, but we can change their reality.

We accompany Our Families throughout the year. We are with them during moments big and small, sharing, celebrating, and supporting. From Shabbos treats to mentoring, from birthday gifts to cleaning assistants: We walk along with them through the journey of life as One Family.