ITAV Chessed

It Takes A Village - Chessed

Supporting single Mothers and Fathers in our communities.

Our first fundraising campaign is live! Help us reach our goal - Click to donate now and track progress!

Ask for Help!

We know the challenges of being a single parent. You are not alone. We are here to help. We invite you to reach out to our devoted admins in their respective cities to seek support. See below.

Support the Village

Join our team of over 500 volunteers who generously dedicate their time, skills, and resources to support the diverse needs of single parents. Contact the local admin in your city listed below.

Donate

Help support single parents who face the unique challenges of single parenthood. Click “Donate” to make a tax deductible donation now.

Donate

Support Network Locations

Brooklyn, NY

Lakewood, NJ

Baltimore, MD

Montreal, Canada

Five Towns, NY

South Florida

Teaneck, NJ

303-475-8576

Edison/HP, NJ

Passaic, NJ*

Niri

347-423-2722

Join Volunteers

*The Passaic location is an independent entitiy, and operates under separate leadership. We are proud to partner with them in displaying their network information on our website as a resource for single parents.

How we can help

Babysitting
Tutoring/help with homework
Dinners
Transportation
Shabbos meal placements
Help with running errands
Financial guidance
Minor handiwork
Minor plumbing issues
Furniture assembly
Referrals to support groups & counseling services
Paperwork support
Emotional support and a listening ear
You can always ask, we will try our best to help!
Heavy shlepping

Beige Paper Texture Background, Kraft Paper for Aesthetic Creative Design

Hi,

I'm Shavy Simcha, founder and honored participant of It Takes A Village. I'm here to ask: “How can I help?”

I founded “It Takes A Village” to support single parents in the daunting task of caring for children independently; a task so impractical, even partnered parents can relate. It truly does take a village to care for children in the way they deserve, and with the help of incredibly caring humans, my wish is to provide some sense of that village!

We understand the struggles of single parents.

We don’t question. We don't judge.

We are here to help. That’s it.

So I ask, “How can I help?” - (Max Goodwin, New Amsterdam)

Ask of us, and we will do our best. It's that simple.

Shavy

Testimonials

I had to take care of a court related matter and living far from my family and struggling with the huge emotional burden of this court issue I needed someone to come along and help me with emotional and physical support IT TAKES A VILLAGE stepped up A volunteer came with me to the courthouse and provided the help that I needed to get that very important paper filed The support was NOT legal support it was the emotional and physical support I needed It changed everything for me That document was necessary to file and having someone by my side helped that I didn t have to do it alone

Hi Shavy I just want to say thank you so so much for ITAV Knowing I have a village behind me when I most need it is invaluable Knowing I have this support when life takes a turn helps by providing services as well as emotional support just knowing ITAV has my back makes an immense difference I have severe asthma and ITAV helps me when it gets really bad to get to where I need to go and continue on with my life and take care of myself and my family Thank you for all you do

I can t thank It Takes a Village enough A huge shout out to Shavy who has become part of my new journey From meals during my challenging divorce to fixing things around the house she s been there Shavy is also trying to help me with a graphic design course and surprised me with a new laptop I recently got to know the Lakewood team as well when Shavy connected me with the incredible Sarah Katz to assist a separated friend Sarah quickly organized donors to cover my friend s ticket to Israel within an hour It s not just help it s a caring village always there for me

Thank you thank you I am overwhelmed by this helpful kindness Two of your volunteers came to our home last night to do a few repairs fix a broken fan install an AC hang a fallen mirror and more Previously these projects would have lingered for months b c hiring a private handyman is just really out of my budget Receiving this help and so quickly too is something which I am extremely grateful for Tizku LMitzvos

It was a mere few weeks after my divorce Things were very overwhelming and my finances terrified me Simply because I didn t have any money to speak of And I m very sick so I can t work It was shabbos I entered my kitchen to see a flood of water pouring out of the cabinet under my sink The pipe had cracked It was a breaking point for me Which was quite symbolic The pipe had cracked under pressure and now so would I Where would I get money for a plumber What else was going to break How could I possibly manage on my own After shabbos I told my best friend what had happened She forwarded me a flyer she had seen And that s how I met the angel called Shavy She sent me another angel an experienced plumber He replaced the pipe on the spot And refused any money even just to cover expenses Hashem had sent me angels to remind me that I wasn t alone It made all the difference

Values of our Organization

Compassionate Support: We understand the particular struggles of single parenting. We do our best to give support and assistance in any way that we can while ensuring the integrity and respect of our recipients.

Anonymity: We take measures to protect the identity of single parents and their requests for assistance. Relevant details are only shared with the volunteer who opts to cover the call.

Safety: Volunteers are vetted with a brief interview on Zoom or through background research, depending on each city's requirements. When a volunteer is sent to a home, we always recommend that an older child or another adult is present with the recipient for their safety. In addition, we follow up after each call with both volunteers and recipients to ensure effective and safe assistance.

Professionalism and Respect: Our volunteers are instructed with clear guidelines and protocols, emphasizing strictly professionally-oriented contact with recipients.

It Takes A Village - Chessed | Founded 2023 | itavchessed.com

Shavy Simcha | 202-384-8964

ITAVChessed Inc is a certified Non-profit

501(c)(3) Organization. Tax ID 933549760