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I want to begin a gemach. I can’t start anything with a large monetary outlay. I want to do something that is helpful and useful for the Klal. Any ideas?
Look for a gemach gemach?
(Sorry, I couldn’t resist…)
The Wolf
Chickpeas for shalom zochors.
OTC medications for Shabbos.
Shtik for weddings.
These are all I can think of right now. It’s been a long, hard day.
a couple of guest folding beds
10 folding chairs for guests/simchos
Tools: hand and powered (if not a liability problem)
Used cell phones: I think European phones must be unlocked by law.
Neckties: For simchos, interviews, etc.
Reading Glasses.
Buttons and thread.
Bentchers (for sheva brochos, etc)? (probably not, most people have a drawer full)
as haifagirl said, I think wedding shtick is a wonderful idea. I know someone who does it and takes a small fee for tzedaka.
other than that,
diapers/formula
chuppah tefillos
I always wanted to start some sort of meter-feeding gemach and feed meters that are about to run out.
Lots of Hatzlacha!
kapusta, I don’t know of a meter feeding gemach, but I do know of a ticket writing gemach in the 5 towns. These baalei chesed volunteer to write tickets in the shopping areas on their own time just in case the po-po might miss a few without their help.
kapusta: anyone who takes a fee, even if they say it’s for tzedaka, is not a gemach.
A gemach should be free for those who need. The people coming need the help, so why are you asking them for tzedaka? It should be called a rental, not a gemach. The only money they should be collecting is a deposit on the items, which is returned when the item is given back.
You can ask for an optional donation, but if it’s required, it’s not a gemach.
Oh, a gown gemach can also require that the gowns be dry-cleaned.
How about a wig gemach. Covering your hair isnt optional and unfortunately there are so many women that cannot afford to buy a new wig. There are also so many women that buy wigs and dont like how it looks and are looking to give it away.
A diaper g’mach is relativley easy to set up.
needs:
a few large plastic storage bins with lids
a package of each size running from newborn on up
same with pull-ups
several packages of wipes
diapers or pullups, so you come and borrow to tide you over.
money, we are able to help those with limited incomes receive a package
without an obligation to return. Additionally, as just happened moments ago,
someone will call and ask when they can drop-off sizes that they no longer
need.
the following is the link to my diaper G’Mach:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/coffeeroom/topic/diaper-gmach-be-part-of-the-mitzvah
esther, i have no words. did everyone realize that all of esthers posts are about making peoples life better? she started compliments gemach and others….. we should learn a lesson from her . have a goood one…….
Is there any listing of available Gemach’s?
I run a small lending gemach in my Yeshiva. I slowly put aside money over the years and also collected money from a few people and now have enough to be able to lend people. Different gemachs have different rules. I lend as little as a dollar at a time and sometimes will lend a few hundred depending on the need and the amount of funds available.
- Here are a few ideas of Gemachs I have seen in Yeshiva:
- Bill Change
- Quarters
- AA Batteries
- Power Tools
- Check Cashing
- Car and GPS (for dating)
- MetroCard
- Folding Tables / Chairs
- Folding Bed
- Iron
- Medicine
- Office Supplies
How about seforim that aren’t usually available in Yeshivas.
Someone in my Yeshiva has created a web page with links to many online stores that the yeshiva guys commonly shop at and when shopping through these links a portion of the purchase will be donated back to the Yeshiva. This way, people can help the yeshiva without spending any more than they were already planning to spend.
Many web sites (such as Amazon) offer this option of becoming an affiliate through their own web site and others (such as Diapers.com) do it through a service such as Google Affiliates. If you have some time you can try to set up a similar program for a tzedaks of your choice. Of course, it will only be worth your time if you can get a lot of people to shop through the links.
You can visit the site and help my yeshiva as well by purchasing through the links at http://tinyurl.com/yzdrsa
Wow – what an interesting idea, it seems like this person has created a easy way for people to give tzedaka to this yeshiva. We all make these purchases anyways, all the time, so we can just click on those links to make the same purchase and the yeshiva gets a cut. Simply an amzing idea. We need more people out there who have the kochos to think of these great ideas.
1.cleaning lady gemach
2.babysitter gemach
3.errand-at-the-other-end-of-town-gemach
4.someone to go INSTEAD OF YOU to the dentist
In E”Y the phone books come with a gemach directory. If you ever feel down just go through it and see why the posuk says “v’amech kulam tzaddikim”. There’s a gemach for anything you can think of and many things you can’t.
Someone I know ran a “liquor gemach” where they collected 1/4 full bottles, left over from a simcha, and then combined same brands into half or 3/4 full bottles.
Then, turned around and handed them over to baalei simchas that could not afford to buy liquor on their own.
You’d be surprised, but it comes in handy more than you realize, as even someone who can afford to buy, sometimes needs a few 1/2 bottles to speed things along at a kiddush.
Plus, you’re always meeting / making happy people!
whatever gmach you open in your neighborhood and you send out flyers to everyone, they will be a need for it and it will be used,abused enjoyed,taking advantage of and what not. good luck if you act on it.
Feif Un:
Well I just saw your post, better late than never, I guess. I definitely hear what you’re saying, but I don’t agree. A rental is something done for ones own benefit. She is not making any money from loaning the shtick, she is doing it as a chessed. To make the mitzvah even bigger, (and I’m assuming also so her gemach is not totally abused), she takes something for tzedakah. She is still providing a service which she is making no money on for the sake of the chessed. That to me is a gemach, even if she does take something for tzedakah.
(As a side point, I’m not sure if the tzedakah part is mandatory or optional)
That’s cute. Kapusta and Fein Un continuing their conversation from over a year ago.
wedding gowns for family members, crowns for kallas (I can donate some for anyone who opens a gmach), shoes coats in excellent condition, used furniture gmach (shadchan, no need to store it, just accept calls with descriptions of wanted/ want to donate and connect them), loan of sheva brachos outfits for imemdiate family or kalla (again, can take numbers, size and connect ppl, no need to use your home)
If you love books and have a large assortment of books for all ages, start a “library g’mach”. Jewish books are very expensive and you can make people happy by providing them with good quality books. You can lend them out for 2 weeks at a time. At my house, we love to read and some neighbors know to ask if they can borrow a book. Good luck.
A jewish book gemach. They are so expensive but there is a real need. Also include bina and mishpacha,the subscribtions are a bit much. Also a TOY GEMACH. or you can even make a toy consignment shop and use the proceeds for tzedaka
my mom has a library in our house that neighbors can borrow from. just realize that other ppl r going to be using the item(depends on what) and the family mite use it(books) and want it in EXCELLENT condition. dont send back books or toys that are ripped, broken, colored on….
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