In 2002 the Joint Distribution Committee requests Dr. Gabriel Kessler to prepare a research on the “Poverty, vulnerability and risk of the Uruguayan Jewish Community”. The results evidenced the immediate need to expand the existing assistential nets. One of the most indicative data of this research was the conclusion that “more than 15% of the Uruguayan Jews are POOR.” (Quite the contrary of the general belief).

The Tzedakah Foundation of Uruguay was created in April 2003, with the technical and economic support of the Joint Distribution Committee and the colaboration of all the Uruguayan Jewish organizations, to give a prompt answer to the new Jewish poverty that begun to appear as a consequence of the dramatic and critical situation in Uruguay. The help requests surpassed the institutions that traditionally took care of this matter.

The C.I.A.O (Assistance Centre Office) opened its doors in June of 2003. Just about one year later, more that 300 families received monthly assistance to satisfy their basic food, health and housing needs. The admittance of new families to the plans of assistance has not stopped, and every year there is an average of 75 new cases.

Since the creation of the Foundation, more that 1500 persons have come to request economic support and orientation. Through CIAO the Foundation is presently giving assistance to almost 1000 persons by meeting their basic needs as well as by means of their Programs of orientation and social promotion. The Foundation is the largest assistance organization of the Jewish community of Uruguay, working jointly and without duplicating efforts with all the institutions offering programs of social assistance.

At present the Foundation has focused its activities in social development, in this way complementing the basic assistance actions for many families. These programs of social promotion in the field of health, education and employment, are centered on children, young and elderly persons. The Foundation works with children and youngsters to interrupt the circle of poverty that strongly conditions those who are born in families with no resources, offering them new tools, materials and contention for the construction of a new model oriented towards study and formation. In the elderly, the objective is to dignify their quality of life by taking care of health, food and socialization, in order to avoid the double stigmatization of old age and poverty.

This high level of assistance activity, oriented to the poorer sectors of our community, entails the need to generate funds through new resources that will allow to fulfill the commitments taken up by the community.

To allow for the transparency of the undertaking, the Tzedakah Foundation is audited by PriceWaterhouseCoopers.