Rabbi Chaim Litvin prepares the newest Friendship Corner for opening at the Neighborhood House Community Center in Portland. (Community photo by Jessica Budnick)
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” — Fred Rogers
Project Friendship, a Chabad of Kentucky effort, opened its 12th Friendship Corner on Friday, Feb. 14, at the Neighborhood House Community Center in Portland, providing another fixed location where the needy can come and find new clothing and shoes.
Duing a dedication ceremony, Rabbi Avrohom Litvin said the opening was being marked by a giveaway of 1,800 gifts to single mothers for Valentine’s Day (pajamas, robes, etc). He expects all the locations combined to give away at least $5 million in items to 18,000 people this year.
“That’s just the tip of the iceberg,” Litvin said.
Louisville Metro Council President David James and Council Member Donna Purvis attended the ceremony, and Janice Cates from the Office of the Mayor read a proclamation designating that Friday as Project Friendship Day.
Chabad already has nine other Friendships corners in Louisville plus one each in Lexington, London and Berea. The hours of operation for each corner is up to the centers where they are located.
James praised the Chabad effort, saying “1,800 gifts to women is a blessing; 18,000 over the course of a year is amazing.”
The clothing, which comes from national and local retailers, is new, Litvin said. Many of the items have never even been sold or tried on. He said he has over 100 pallets of clothing warehoused, awaiting sorting and distributing.
The next step in the project will be to provide clothing to 18-year-olds in Foster Care who are aging out of the program.
Purdis, in whose district the new corner is located, said the need for the clothing is great.
“We are in need here,” she told Chabad at the ceremony, “and your work and support makes the need less painful.”
