Alumni Double Impact Social Justice Grants

This past summer, the AVODAH-AJWS Partnership piloted the Double Impact Social Justice Grants program, designed to broaden the experience and deepen the skill sets of AVODAH and AJWS alumni committed to anti-poverty work and to offer support to organizations working on anti-poverty issues domestically and abroad. Double Impact Social Justice Grant applicants were required to have arranged full-time summer/fall 2008 internships with well-designed projects at anti-poverty organizations.

We are proud to share information about the twenty AVODAH and AJWS alumni who received grants. This impressive group ranges in age from 19 to 29 and their internships are located across the globe, from California to Zambia. Many are working on similar issues or with similar populations, from researching gentrification in D.C. to working on affordable housing in Vancouver. Please see below for the complete list of recipients and where they are working, and click here to read an interview with one grantee.  Congratulations to all of them on their phenomenal efforts!

 

Aaron Lawee is an AVODAH alum currently living in Washington, D.C. This summer, he interned with Ayuda (www.ayuda.com) in D.C., providing immigrants with legal assistance relating to citizenship.

Aaron Wieler is an AJWS Volunteer Corps alum from Berkeley, CA. This summer, he interned with Design for Development Society (www.designfordevelopment.org) in Ladakh, India, designing technologies to assist disabled children.

Brian Schwartz is an AJWS World Partners Fellowship alum currently living in Washington, D.C. This summer, he interned with Energy Action Coalition (www.climatechallenge.org) in D.C., working on a campaign for youth election engagement on environmental issues.

Carrie Teicher is an AJWS Volunteer Corps alum from White Plains, NY currently living in Tel Aviv, Israel. This summer and fall, she is working with the African Refugee Development Center (http://ardc.wordpress.com), coordinating medical/health care services for the refugee community.

David Wallsh is an AJWS Volunteer Summer alum from Maitland, FL currently living in Jerusalem, Israel. This summer, he interned with the Israeli-Palestinian Business Forum (www.ipcri.org), writing a business guide to facilitate cross-border business operations.

Hannan Braun is an AJWS Alternative Breaks alum from Silver Spring, MD. This summer, Hannan interned with the Treatment Action Center (www.tac.org.za) in Cape Town, South Africa, creating educational materials on HIV/AIDS.

Julie Lipson is an AVODAH alum currently living in Portland, OR. This summer, she interned with Mercy and Wisdom Healing Center (www.mercyandwisdom.org), connecting low-income, uninsured people with donated health care services.

Julie Veroff is an AJWS Alternative Breaks and Volunteer Summer alum from Fresno, CA. This summer, she interned with the United Nations High Commissioner on Refugees in Zambia (www.unhcr.org/country/zmb.html), researching justice administration in Meheba Refugee Settlement.

Laura Klivans is an AJWS World Partners Fellowship alum currently living in San Francisco, CA. This summer, she interned with World Savvy (www.worldsavvy.org), creating curriculum for their Media & Arts Program, and with the U.S. Campaign for Burma (www.uscampaignforburma.org), developing resources for Burma advocates.

Lauren Nussbaum is an AJWS Alternative Breaks alum from Amherst, MA. This summer she interned with PRISMA (www.prisma.org.pe) in Lima, Peru, researching barriers to cervical cancer prevention among low-income women in Peru.

Leah Spigelman is an AJWS Volunteer Corps alum from New York City. This summer, she interned with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Monrovia, Liberia, assisting in the creation of a Peacebuilding Office (www.unpbf.org/liberia.shtml).

Mila Gorokhovich is an AJWS World Partners Fellowship alum currently living in London, UK. This fall, she is interning with Hope Through Health (www.hthglobal.org) in Togo, assessing ways to expand income generating programs for women.

Miriam Fogelson is an AJWS Alternative Breaks and Delegations alum from New York City. This summer, she interned with Save Our Schools New Orleans Louisiana (www.sosnola.org), working on youth empowerment and school reform.

Rachel Finkelstein is an AJWS Volunteer Summer alum currently living in College Park, MD. This summer, she interned with A Wider Circle (www.awidercircle.org) in Washington, D.C., researching gentrification for housing policy.

Rachel Gold is an AVODAH alum currently living in Vancouver, British Columbia. This summer, she interned with the British Columbia Non-Profit Housing Association/Society for Affordable Housing Education, Awareness and Development (www.bcnpha.ca), developing an environmental sustainability strategy for the organization.

Rachel Steinberg is an AJWS Volunteer Summer alum from New York City. This summer, she interned with the Grassroots Business Initiative (www.ifc.org/gbi), working with African and Asian partners in the Grassroots Business Fund.

Sarah Lesser is an AJWS Volunteer Summer and AVODAH alum from Berkeley, CA. This summer, she interned with the United Nations High Commission on Refugees (www.unhcr.org/country/isr.html), assisting refugees seeking work visas, and with Beit Ha'Shanti (www.shanti.org.il), developing tutoring programs at a safe house for at-risk youth.

Tanya Fredman is an AJWS Volunteer Summer alum from St. Louis, MO. This year, she is interning with youth villages Yemin Orde in Israel (www.yeminorde.org) and Agahozo Shalom in Rwanda (www.asyv.org), doing tutoring and art education work.

Yitzi Raisner and Shani Porter are AJWS Volunteer Summer alumni currently living in New York City. This fall, they are interning with Uri L'Tzedek (http://uriltzedek.webnode.com), working to bring a social justice advocacy/education group to Queens College.