Fundación Tzedaká y Refuot

I have started volunteering at Fundación Tzedaká, a huge foundation that makes a difference in the lives of thousands of Argentines each year. I was drawn to Fundación Tzedaká because of the respect it holds within the Argentine community and because of the name, Tzedaká, which translates to justice and loosely charity in Hebrew. I am in the fundraising department but they (and I) believe it's very important that their volunteers experience their programs to give the fundraising more meaning. I work in the main office with the fundraising team but the organization has over 100 professionals and 600 volunteers that support their various health and education projects to fight poverty. 

I had the opportunity to visit one of their programs, Refuot, yesterday and it was an incredible experience. Refuot is a community bank of medicines that gets distributed all over the country to people that cannot afford medications. We walked in and I was shocked to see the sheer volume of medicines waiting to be sorted. Javier, Refuot's Assistant, showed my colleague Samanta (International Fundraising Assistant, Fundación Tzedaká) and I around so we could get to know a bit about the program and meet some of the important people involved in the operation. 

Boxes were everywhere as Javier explained to us that storage is a problem as they are fortunate to receive many donations and do not have the hands necessary to sort them all efficiently. We first went to meet some of the dedicated volunteers that come to sort and import the medicines into the system. The room was full of bubbes, zaydees, and one of their adorable grandchildren Marco who explained to us what he usually does he to help out. I of course had to sit down and help for a minute to get in on the sorting action! 

Next we went to the are where the pharmacists sit to fill the prescriptions and sort them into the appropriate places so they get where they are supposed to go. This medicine bank serves over 30,000 people each year throughout Argentina so making sure the prescriptions are filled and sorted correctly is no easy feat. 

We also got to meet some of the administrative staff that make this operation happen year round and finished our visit in true Argentine fashion, sipping on mate. 

Refuot is an amazing program that helps people who would not otherwise have the opportunity to access the medications they need each year. Refuot is an invaluable service to the Argentine community, I am so glad I had the opportunity to visit and learn about it!

If you want to support Refuot or other Fundación Tzedaká programs, click here. 

To connect with Fundación Tzedaká on Facebook, click here.