A family in our community who struggled financially for many years experienced the tragedy of having the bank foreclose upon their home. They tried everything. They hired a lawyer to forestall eviction, they desperately tried to revitalize their business leaving no stone unturned. Late one winter afternoon they lost their battle. The Sherriff physically evicted the family, placing their possessions on the front lawn. At 9:30PM Tomche Shabbos arranged that Yeshiva bochrim were called down to save as many of the family’s possessions as possible and to find a place to safeguard them. The Yeshiva boys worked feverishly in the rain until 2:00AM to help a brother in need.
A Baalas Teshuvah was driving home after visiting her elderly father who lived out of town. The highway was dark and deserted. About 10 miles from her exit, her old car sputtered and died at the side of the deserted highway. New to the community and not having any local family, she didn’t know whom to call. The only phone number she could remember was the cell phone number of one of the directors of Tomche Shabbos. 15 minutes later our group reached her, and drove her home. She never thought to ask their names, they didn’t provide them, and then they were gone.
One Thursday afternoon the phone rang. A woman who received our assistance each Thursday night was concerned that her mother would be visiting that evening, and she didn’t want her mother to know that she was struggling and received help from Tomche Shabbos. She asked if it was possible that the driver not drop the box outside her door before 1:00AM, after she was sure her mother would be gone. We assured her that we would take care of it. Late that night the driver left his home for a second time and silently left the box at her door at 1:00AM.
Late one night we were informed of a couple who had been evicted from their rental apartment that day and were driving aimlessly around the community trying to figure out where to go. The wife was pregnant and due any day. The calls between Tomche Shabbos Board members flew back and forth, and within hours we had located an inexpensive apartment, and had raised the money to settle them in.
Late one Thursday night, two Tomche Shabbos volunteers were dropping off a box of Shabbos food at the doorstep of a struggling family, when they smelled gas coming from the home. They hurriedly called the Tomche Shabbos office who investigated. It was discovered that for the past two weeks their utilities had been disconnected due to non-payment. Earlier that day without their knowledge, someone paid this family’s bill in full at the utility office. The gas and electricity had been restored late that afternoon, but the family didn’t remember that they had left the gas oven on. The two drivers who were making the delivery were instructed to bang on the door to try to awaken the family. Boruch Hashem the family was saved and the Tomche Shabbos drivers left the scene without identifying themselves.
