Dear readers,

You May have heard about Chaverim – an exciting service provided to the community of the 5 Towns and Far Rockaway. You might even have called us to help in your moment of need. But do you know all that we do? Well, here is a quick run-down of the ways we assist our community members when in need. Our most widely known service is assisting drivers facing various car related emergencies. These include flat tires, inability to start cars due to battery trouble, empty gas tank and incredibly often and horribly inconvenient – being locked out of cars with the keys inside. Not to worry – our field team has met these challenges and more often arriving on site within 15 minutes or less after receiving the call from our dispatchers. We have gotten cars moving in all kinds of weather and at all hours of day and night, quickly, efficiently and with deep satisfaction to have saved a neighbor from distress.

Less known than our car assistance, is our availability to help when you are locked out of your house or apartment. A very poignant call was from a parent who stepped outside to retrieve mail from the doorstep; the wind blew the door closed, leaving two young children locked inside. Fortunately a neighbor called Chaverim and within 5 minutes the door was opened and the parent tearfully relieved to find her children safe and well. Another door lockout proved unusually adventurous for our team. A parent stepped out to the terrace of a third floor apartment and again the door closed with three children locked outside on the balcony with her. A field member was dispatched and he rushed to the scene, finding a distraught mother calling down from the third floor balcony. Requiring a ladder to access the high location, the Chaverim member called for backup from other team members. It took five members with various types of equipment to – shall we say – rise to the occasion, getting onto the terrace and opening the locked door. By that time, most of the block was in attendance cheering us on and expressing amazement at this Chaverim rescue. As unusual as this event was even for us, the men who worked this scene took their success in stride. When it comes to saving anyone in trouble, our guys just don’t give up! Chaverim has also expanded into helping out with minyanim for families sitting shiva.

Chaverim has recently gotten brand new safety vests which keep our members safe on calls, whether it’s giving someone a boost in their driveway to changing flat tires on major roads and intersections. Chaverim wants to thank two major sponsors that helped make getting these vests possible. Those sponsors are Gourmet Glatt Emporium and Plaza Auto Leasing. Without their generous donations, our members wouldn’t be as safe while helping out the community.

Chaverim does not charge for their services (with the exception of an “out of gas” call) and all of our staff – administrators, field teams and dispatchers – volunteer their time and effort without pay. We count on donations from the community to cover costs of equipment used to perform our tasks, items such as tools for tire changes, sophisticated gadgetry for opening various locks and specialized equipment to reach batteries of cars parked in enclosed areas. We are now holding a community-wide prize raffle to raise additional funds. Your support in this raffle campaign and all year round will ensure that we can be there for you and your neighbors with the resources to resolve familiar and unusual problems. To purchase raffle tickets please call 516-331-1460 or go to www.chaverim5t.org.

Thank you,

Chaverim of the Five Towns & Far Rockaway