For most people, the name Tomche Shabbos conjures up images of boxes of food quietly delivered at the doorsteps of needy families. In truth, Tomche Shabbos of Rockland County has many more programs to assist families who are struggling and help them become financially independent.

One program that we are extremely proud of is Partners in Parnosoh. Through this program, we offer job training and job placement for individuals looking for employment. The following was shared by a woman who completed one such course:

I was employed as a secretary for a short period of time before getting married and moving to Eretz Yisrael. About seven years ago, my family moved back to Monsey, after living in Eretz Yisrael for ten years.

When we came back here, I knew that I had to find work to help my family make ends meet. However, I hadn't worked in an office for years and didn't know any computer programs. I couldn't afford to attend expensive courses either, so seeing no other option, I began babysitting in my home.

I babysat for some time, but at one point, I had very few children. One day, I saw an ad from Tomche Shabbos, offering free training in various computer programs. I realized that instead of trying to make the babysitting work, I could attend a course so that I could qualify for a good job.

I signed up for the QuickBooks course and began attending the weekly classes, together with other people, who were all clearly committed to improving their financial situation. Rabbi Hain, our instructor, was very patient and presented the material clearly.

After a few months, I completed the course, and Tomche Shabbos invited the participants to send in our resumes so that they could assist with job placement. I was looking for a part-time job, which I knew could be hard to find in this field. With the help of Tomche Shabbos, I found a twice-weekly job as a bookkeeper. At first, I still did some babysitting on the side, but recently I found a second part-time job and was able to stop babysitting completely. Between the two jobs, I'm working for exactly the amount of hours I hoped.

I'm so grateful to Tomche Shabbos for giving me the tools I needed to help support my family this way.

Tomche Shabbos is happy to report that this individual is just one of many who have taken advantage of our Partners in Parnosoh initiative. Thanks to Rabbi Hain and the rest of our team, we are opening doors to new opportunities and changing the lives of families in our community!