Apr

22 2021

Giving Green- Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation

7:00PM - 9:00PM  

Contact Sonia Marie Leikam
soniamariel@ojcf.org
https://givebutter.com/OJCYF2021

JOIN US FOR A JOYOUS VIRTUAL EVENT HOSTED BY OUR COMMUNITY’S TEEN PHILANTHROPISTS. DISCOVER WHAT THE TEENS HAVE LEARNED DURING THIS EXCEPTIONAL YEAR IN THE OREGON JEWISH COMMUNITY YOUTH FOUNDATION, EXPLORING BOTH JEWISH VALUES OF GIVING AND LOCAL NEEDS IN OUR COMMUNITY.

SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS MIKO VERGUN AND ISAAC VERGUN WILL HIGHLIGHT OUR COLLECTIVE OBLIGATION TO SUPPORT THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE JEWISH VALUES THAT GUIDE THEM.

Miko Vergun and Isaac Vergun are climate activists and federal plaintiffs in Juliana et al. v. U.S. In 2015, 21 youth, and organizational plaintiff Earth Guardians, filed their constitutional climate lawsuit, Juliana et al. v. U.S, against the U.S. government. Their complaint asserts that, through the government's affirmative actions that cause climate change, it has violated the youngest generation’s constitutional rights to life, liberty, and property, as well as failed to protect essential public trust resources. They are cofounders of the climate group Youth Acting for our Earth (YAE!) and both are OJCYF alumni.

The mission of the Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation is to empower Jewish teenagers to take action that aligns with their Jewish values and establish a culture of giving as future community leaders. OJCYF encourages discussion and application of Jewish values by giving teens the responsibility to fundraise and grant money to Jewish and secular nonprofit organizations.

The Oregon Jewish Community Youth Foundation (OJCYF) is a program of the Oregon Jewish Community Foundation (OJCF), designed to encourage a lifelong passion for Jewish philanthropy and social activism. Through OJCYF, students develop a deep understanding of the importance of nonprofits and their inner workings. They evaluate local Jewish and secular charities through in-depth site visits and plan and lead an annual fundraising dinner event.  Due to the pandemic, this year, the dinner has been cancelled, but grant making will continue with your support!

OJCYF is special in that it fully entrusts its teen members with deciding how the money they’ve raised will be granted to the community through a Jewish lens. Empowered OJCYF youth learn how to be passionate, confident, mature leaders as they develop into responsible citizens with a lifelong love for Jewish philanthropy. The teens fully decide where the money raise goes.

During the 2021 grants cycle, the teen philanthropists will prioritize proposals that address at least one of the following issues.

Local Jewish organizations focused on serving the Jewish community, working on issues related to Antisemitism, Covid-19 response and/or care for our most vulnerable community members
Local Jewish organizations doing work in the areas of Jewish history & culture
Caring for the vulnerable in our local community, including access to housing, food and programs providing direct care

Environmental Issues, including sustainability and preservation