Amidst down economy, student organizes fundraiser for the homeless

Feb. 7 on-campus gala and auction will benefit hopeFound

Aaron Mitchell Finegold '09

WALTHAM, Mass.— Brandeis University student Aaron Mitchell Finegold '09 started planning a coat-and-tie fundraiser to benefit the nonprofit organization hopeFound two years ago, before the economy took its drastic dip, but he hasn’t let the market’s downturn deter him.

“The road from conception to execution has been long, but every second has been worth it,” Finegold said. “Fundraising in a recession is one of the hardest tasks I’ve ever undertaken, but it’s important to help a non-profit that does really important work- especially now, when so many people are facing financial hardship.”

The Feb. 7 fundraiser, which will be held at the Brandeis Faculty Club, will benefit hopeFound, a nonprofit organization whose history of serving the adult homeless population in the Greater Boston area dates back to 1983, when Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis founded an emergency shelter at the Lemuel Shattuck Hospital in Jamaica Plain. Today, the organization offers a comprehensive array of services that help homeless men and women achieve self-sufficiency and secure permanent housing. hopeFound serves more than 3,500 people annually.

Finegold has been a volunteer at hopeFound. He said, “hopeFound’s commitment to equipping their clients with skills rather than just temporary food or housing is what makes them so unique, and worth all the time and effort it took to plan this fundraiser.”

Tickets to the cocktail reception and silent auction will be available at the door. The fee is $15 for Brandeis students and $25 for non-students.

The event was made possible by donations from the Brandeis Undergraduate Student Senate, Brandeis Student Events, Students Acquiring Social Skills, Dr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Butler, Mr. and Mrs. Barry Finegold, The Howard Frankenthal Family Foundation, Dr. and Mrs. Robert Gordon, Mr. Scott Kessler, Mrs. Roseann Lyons, Mr. Richard Mechanic, Mrs. Holly Morse, Mrs. Christine Paler, Mrs. Corinne Kaplan-Pistiner, Mr. and Mrs. Michael Resnik, Mr. and Mrs. James Seder, Mr. Michael Sperling, Mrs. Dorothy Van Osch, Mr. and Mrs. Elmer Zuelke and numerous anonymous donors. Mullen Advertising & PR in Wenham, Mass. donated volunteers and several auction items.

Cocktail reception and silent auction to benefit hopeFound
Feb. 7, 2009
Faculty Club at Brandeis University
Doors open at 8 p.m.
For more information, contact Aaron Mitchell Finegold at afinegold@brandeis.edu.