Susan Sirigatti Stearn, President, PrimoMaestro Italia Artisan Italian Lighting

At PrimoMaestro Italia, Florentine artisans combine centuries-old craftsmanship with state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies to create a unique, limited edition lighting that  brings beauty, art and creative innovation into your life. Susan, the company founder, is responsible for the innovative, exciting and unique designs of its lighting. We are grateful to Susan and PrimoMaestro Italia for their donation of 25 sets of special greeting cards for our crowdfunding campaign.

Hilton Block, Owner and Manager, Pastaria Pasta Bar

Hilton, an experienced restaurateur, manages Pastaria dairy restaurant in Raanana, offering high quality food at low prices. “You can take the family to this restaurant without breaking the bank.“ says South-African born Hilton, “It’s simple but effective.” Boasting a wide range of pasta dishes, pizzas and salads, Pastaria lends itself to low-cost dining in a modest way. RE-SPECS thanks Hilton and Pastaria for their generous offer of five meals for 2 in support of our campaign.

Shuli Briggs, CEO, BoxedGood.com

Shuli is a busy mum with a strong desire to do something she loves so she founded BoxedGood, which provides affordable, fresh, nutritious organic produce. Delivered on a weekly basis to your home, BoxedGood contains the season’s best organic fruit and veges directly from the farm. The produce is grown without pesticides or fumigation – good for our health, the soil, plants, animals & people. Thanks to Shuli, 2 happy customers will receive an organic fruit delivery in support of the RE-SPECS campaign.

Andi Saitowitz, Personal and Professional Coach & Motivational Speaker

When it comes to personal and professional coaching, Andi Saitowitz is the one! As a certified life coach from the Adler Institute, Andi brings to the field a fresh, inspirational approach that helps countless individuals reach their potential. “I have made it my life’s work to be committed to helping people bring out their absolute best,” she says. It is no
wonder that RE-SPECS has benefited greatly from Andi’s donation of personal development coaching to a supporter of our crowdfunding campaign.

Oran Aviv, Reflexology And So Much More…

Meet Oran: reflexologist for over 15 years. Oran’s treatments and teachings help one’s body get back into balance so it can heal itself. A believer that the true healer is oneself, her treatments combine complementary & alternative therapies that she has mastered over the years. Oran is a member of the Israeli Reflexology Association and a Registered Complementary Practitioner. Her clients testify that she is a gifted reflexologist. We owe her a debt of thanks for her generous donation of 4 treatments for our cause.

Michael Cina, ScotPlanet Computer Services

In case the name didn’t give it away, Michael hails from … Scotland! He established ScotPlanet Computer Services to cater to the computer and technology needs of the Anglo and Hebrew-speaking communities in Israel. Michael offers a full range of computer solutions and services for small businesses and private homes, and he is passionate about the quality and service that his business stands for. He has kindly donated 5 website/IT consulting sessions and for that, we are truly grateful.

Gloria Kinrot, USOLVE 

Gloria is a seasoned business & team consultant and an internationally certified coach with a passion for collaboration. Holding several degrees, she is a system and software engineer, a proven manager, business owner & an associate coach on the Business Success Coach Network. Boasting years of diverse, industrial experience with companies like GE, Comverse & Teva, Gloria’s clients include managers and their teams and women in business and in transition. A leader and facilitator of the Raanana Women Council's Women-in-Business Club, we appreciate her donation of 3 perks of a 1-hr. jump-start business/manager coaching consultation.

Ariel Levin, Chief Social at Ariel Levin Social Media Consultancy

Ariel is no newcomer to social media. He has loads of experience as a social media consultant and has worked with hi-tech start-ups, real estate companies, Kindle authors, small businesses, Apple iOS and Google Android Apps. Ariel is a specialist when it
comes to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google Plus, Pinterest, Instagram, Foursquare, & YouTube. His 3 main services are: social media analysis planning & strategy, social media training, and social media management. Kudos to him for his generous donation of 4 hours of social media consulting and set-up.

TARGET: To raise 40,000 NIS to build an eye clinic to service Israel's needy with eyewear. The 40 sq. m. clinic, with a 10 sq. meter gallery, will be situated in the heart of the country at Raanana Junction, able to serve needy populations from the entire Sharon area and beyond.

IT'S A WIN-WIN: From today until the week of Yemei Ahava Lateva V'lasviva ending midday on Friday May 10th, we engage you to join us in raising this sum. Your donation can win you up to 50% of its worth! So, join the crowd!
 
HERE'S HOW IT WORKS: As an incentive, we are offering a tierred system of perks. So the more you donate, the more you can get. To date we have 46 perks (although we might be able to offer more before campaign's end), so you've got to be quick! To donate, either phone us on 0584-436735 or make an online PayPal payment by clicking here. All donors (Israeli and abroad) will receive a receipt from RE-SPECS reg.
charity no. 580561009. The first 46 people that donate to correspond with the perks offered will automatically win. 

SO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Join the crowd!

Eye Care. Do You?

Monday April 8th, Yom Hashoah, touched RE-SPECS and the schoolchildren at Dekel elementary school in Raanana more deeply than we could ever have imagined. As we had done at other schools, we were due to conduct a short presentation for the kids to explain what RE-SPECS does and to encourage them to get involved. But on this day, we were bringing a touching message and a special unopened package. How special, we were still to discover.
 
That morning we received a package of glasses in the mail as a donation for people in need. When we emailed the sender with thanks, she wrote us the following: “My mother-in-law, a holocaust survivor, passed away a year ago. I was breaking my head trying to figure out what to do with her used glasses which were still in excellent condition. She was a person who hated throwing things away unnecessarily and she was tops in ‘secondhand’. So thank you that you found such a great solution and that you emailed me precisely on the day that is dedicated in our hearts to her memory.”

We emailed back, saying that we were on the way to do a school presentation and that we would share this story with the children on this Yom Hashoah. 

It was her first email and the one she sent next that we read out to the kids as they sat spellbound and we opened the package for the first time.

“These are the glasses of Genia, who was a young girl in the Warsaw Ghetto and looked after her 6 siblings and parents before they all perished and she remained alone. She went through the concentration camps and the death camps, and survived to come to Israel and build a large family. Genia was a brave, resourceful woman who always said: ‘Instead of looking in the mirror all day, it’s also important to look out of the window,’ - in other words, to see the plight of others, and to help them if necessary.

Here was Genia, a holocaust survivor and a person who cared sincerely about others. And here were her glasses, sent to us after her passing. There was no better message we could convey to the children.

Genia’s outlook reflected the very beliefs that RE-SPECS stands for: caring for those in need by providing them with the means to see.

Take a spoonful of vision; mix it with a cupful of charity, a heaped tablespoon of venture philanthropy and a quart of community engagement. Spice it with passion, pride and perks – and what do you get? The Amuta21C “Tools, Trends and Opportunities” Conference for non-profit organizations in Israel.

This unique event took place on March 4th, 2013 in Tel Aviv and we were there! Organized by Shoshanna Jaskoll of Reach3K and Jonny Cline (UK Toremet), and following successful meetings in 2010 and 2012, Amuta21C sought to bring together over 250 professionals from the non-profit sector for a one-day think-tank summit.

In the words of Jaskoll: "The world of charitable giving and running an organization has changed dramatically in recent years, and nonprofits are seeking the tools to remain competitive and in line with the latest trends."

Amuta21C provided the opportunity for RE-SPECS’ CEO Chana Simon and Marketing & Media Manager Tamar Weiss to network and to learn about engaging our community in what is an expanding “third sector”.

“We learnt so much,” recalls Chana, “especially the value of engaging the community in what we do. RE-SPECS, which collects recyclable glasses, is not about us; it’s about you, our supporters, who actively participate in building up the organization in a myriad of exciting ways.”

Chana and Tamar look forward to Amuta21C, 2014, with the strengthened belief that philanthropy is all about partnership and the desire to impact positive change on the world. Together, with your support, we can do just that!