Andrea Silverman, National Services and Community Liaison for Paperweight, introduces the charity’s new Leeds branch and how it can help you.
Step into any Paperweight office in London, Manchester, Gateshead or our newest branch in Leeds, and all’s outwardly calm, tranquil, even relaxed. People ask: ‘What does Paperweight do?’ A more apt question is: ‘What does Paperweight not do?’ While grown from humble beginnings in 2011 Paperweight now has a vast, multifaceted reach within UK’s Jewish community, having helped over 20,000 people who talk of the transformative nature of Paperweight’s intervention.
Unusually, Paperweight runs almost entirely on dedicated volunteer power (last count, nearly 200) – offering grass roots perspectives on the reality of life for ordinary Jewish folk – and it’s not always a rose-tinted view.
Perhaps some within the community have viewed previous recessions/crisis with something akin to detachment, muttering idly ‘That’s not my problem’ or ‘This won’t concern my family’. Well, no longer… the current crises (post- COVID; cost-of-living; global conflicts etc.) will undoubtedly mark us all this time around.
Paperweight’s National Helpline is for every Jewish person, wherever you live. But we now have many regional branches offering even more personal attention. We’re particularly delighted to have recently opened our new Leeds office, fronted by two experienced Coordinators, Suzanne Benjamin and David Wynick. Suzanne and David are situated in LJHA’s building on Stonegate Way where all visitors are warmly welcomed.
The charity helps with finances; benefits; elderly care; household administration and will join you in battling legal entanglements; bureaucracy; debt issues and any real-life crises that, alone, feel crushing and overwhelming.
All callers are compassionately answered by our Helpline Assessors who take details, then allocate a volunteer Caseworker who’ll contact the client directly and help going forwards.
A Caseworker could be a professional, a welfare provider or come from a life of service who still has a wellspring of experience to give. Retired or working, they all share that ‘can do’ attitude and be advocacy spirited.
Throughout a client’s journey, Paperweight offers respect and dignity, knowing people come tousatalowebbandfromapointofpain-we’ll lift you up when it seems no-one else has the time.
Please don’t delay – we’re right here, right now, waiting for your call or visit.
Paperweight.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer 0330 174 4300
