The Fed has produced a great update on their services, including their volunteers, residents and advice and volunteering teams.

The Fed Team have filmed a video with an important message - "We are here for YOU."

Watch their video message from the team here. 

A message from Raphi Bloom, Director of Fundraising and Marketing at The Fed:

I wanted to write to you and update you personally on how The Fed is working to help and protect our community's most vulnerable, isolated and needy. The Fed is right on the front line of this fight - whether it be with our 170+ residents at Heathlands Village or working tirelessly with the 1,300+ Jewish homes we help across Greater Manchester.  

Let me start by saying I am so proud of all my colleagues - those who provide the "front line" care across our organisation and the ones who underpin our "back office" functions. Despite the challenges we face every single one is motivated by the fact that we cannot stop - or the people we care for will suffer. 

The demands are huge. As soon as the Government mentioned self-isolation and social distancing our Community Services teams began planning for the challenges this would pose. The Fed has a huge number of people who rely on us that are elderly, already isolated and have no other family. Many others have had to self isolate. In addition, as most of us began to work remotely additional challenges have had to be overcome.

We have used social media and emails very effectively to get the message out to our community so they know what The Fed is doing and how to access help. Please watch this videos of The Feb Volunteer Team and this video of the Advice and Support Team at work.

A small sample of the issues our Community Services teams dealt with yesterday included:

• People with anxiety calling and reporting shortness of breath, most likely due to panic attacks not symptoms of breathing difficulties and seeking reassurance and advice as they have no where else to turn. This can be very scary for the people we support.
• Many calls from people just wanting to chat as they are self isolating and completely alone with no family.
• Two clients in tears on the phone, terrified of being on their own, as they live alone
• Calls have been made to check that some of our Drop In Mental Health Support group have the food/medication they need – as some rely on the hot meal they receive twice per week at our groups. 
• Our teams continue to claim charity grants and benefits to support clients with the ability to purchase fridges & freezers and for food, so they can cope in the weeks ahead.
• A coffee stop next week has had to be cancelled.  The team have called and spoken to many of the potential attendees ( 67 clients so far out of 80 +) All clients were very grateful for the call and the reassurance that we will be there for them over the coming weeks. 
• Arrangement of emergency support for 7 clients was put in place today.
• We anticipate increased calls for support from carers, as many day care services in the community are now closed.

The ongoing plan is for our social work and volunteer teams is to contact ALL our most vulnerable clients, to offer assistance with shopping, medication and provide telephone support for reassurance and general well being.

From very early on we took the hard decision to close the doors of Heathlands Village to ALL visitors, including family. This was a painful but necessary decision to do all we can to protect our vulnerable residents. Knowing how hard it would be for families not to see each other we began using technology to allow residents and family to call and see each other - and it has been fantastic.

We also went "old school" in the absence of visitors and asked people to send in post cards, posters and letters to be distributed to our residents and the lonely and isolated we support in the community. The response - in a very short time - has been phenomenal. Jewish and non Jewish schools have got involved and we are so inspired by the response. (We keep the letters in quarantine for 72 hours to ensure safety)

Of course in times like this we rely on experience and wisdom so when Sylvia and Sylvia - both in their 90's and residents of Moorview  -offer advice we have to take it. Everyone should watch this!

But at times like this we also need humour and to feel uplifted.

Our residents  - along with our Chief Exec - are still able to get their hair done!

And our volunteers are simply amazing. This was a message we received: "Being a volunteer that can't attend Heathlands at the moment I was asked by the  volunteering team if I would befriend a person in the community who is aged and self isolated. I rang the elderly lady today and introduced myself and she advised me she lives alone, has no children or very close family and is currently housebound. We chatted for about 10 mins with a view to me getting to know here and I plan to call her every couple of days for a talk and check she is ok. After speaking to her it made me appreciate how fortunate most of us are to have close family and friends that we can be with and communicate with using the technology available to us during the current crisis and how much a short phone call to a person in need can hopefully make a difference to their day."

As generous supporters of The Fed I would like to thank you for your ongoing support. Without the vital help you have given us this year - and in previous years - we would not be in the position to offer so much help to so many of those in our community who are most in need - and to take the lead on behalf of Manchester Jewry.

We live in uncertain times. However at The Fed we cannot stop. We cannot afford to. I wish you and your a families a peaceful Shabbat and pray for only better times in the future.

ll the best,

Raphi Bloom

Director of Fundraising & Marketing