Ginnine Fried
Teaneck, New Jersey
How is your Hero working to make the world a better place?
Ginnine runs the Teaneck Baby Gemach, helping Jewish families in Bergen County by providing them with diapers, formula, clothes, toys, equipment, and more for their babies when those families could not afford to buy it for themselves. She works tirelessly to solicit donations from individuals, organizations, and companies to make sure the Jewish families of Bergen County have the safety of knowing they will have the necessary supplies for their baby's health and well-being. Ginnine works at her full-time, sixty hour per week job, then comes home to put her two-year-old twins to bed. Once her children are asleep, she operates the Gemach, answering emails and phone calls, organizing drop-offs and pick-ups for the week, and sorting through the hundreds of items donated on a weekly basis. Ginnine organizes charity events to raise funds to purchase the diapers and formula needed, and works hand in hand with Jewish organizations to ensure all recipients do not lack any of the basic items needed to raise a Jewish child in this day and age. Ginnine also runs the "Little Visitors" Program, where she lends out larger Gemach equipment, like strollers, cribs, pack-n-plays, and more, for Jewish families that find themselves needing the equipment for short periods of time, like when a grandchild visits, or a friend and their baby come for the weekend. If not for Ginnine, many Jewish families in Bergen County would be forced to go into endless, hopeless debt to purchase the supplies she graciously hands out.
How has your Hero impacted your life and inspired you?
Whether or not Ginnine wins this competition does not change the fact that she is a hero in my eyes. She manages to work a 60 hour per week job, raise two-year-old twins, and run a demanding Gemach all at the same time. I thought she was crazy to take over the Gemach, but now I see that she didn't choose it, it chose her. God made sure a person of her tenacity, knowledge, and strength was the only person that could run such an organization, and I truly feel I am a better person for knowing her.