Hi, my name is Harrison Wade.  I am almost 13 and therefore almost a Bar Mitzvah!  At Kehillat Israel, one of the most rewarding parts of this process is the focus on our individual B’nai Mitzvah projects.  My Rabbi once told me, “Harrison if you want to help with a charity, look for something that’s broken, and try to help fix it.” Honestly, that was the easy part…there’s a lot of things in our world that seem broken. 

After researching and talking with friends and family, I decided my search could end right here at home.  No, no, no…there are no crimes against me or my brother at home – though I would like a later bedtime and more Robux (can I get an amen?)  When I say my search could end here, I found myself looking at the causes that my parents are deeply invested in.  Though there are a number of those, one in particular stood out from the rest. 

As you have probably guessed, for my Bar Mitzvah project, I am raising funds for the Crimes Against Children Foundation.  My family and I were introduced to CACF, an extraordinary organization, through its founder, Daryl Williams.  Although Daryl has been keeping me and my temple safe for years through his private security company, the foundation is different.  The focus of the foundation is to help communities across the United States (and hopefully beyond) protect innocent children from heinous crimes that happen every day.  It is terrifying to see the crimes that are committed in communities like ours without anyone ever knowing.  CACF, through donations and its volunteers, works with law enforcement, school districts, public and private agencies and other organizations to protect children that cannot protect themselves.

I chose to bring awareness to (hopefully raise money for) CACF because this foundation actually does help kids.  From helping authorities break-up trafficking rings and internet crimes to working with communities to protect children from crimes on school campuses, this foundation is fixing something that is broken.  That was my goal right?

How can you help? Easy.  Donate to the CACF below.  Although it is tradition in Judaism to give gifts to the bar-mitzvah honoree (that would be me) in multiples of 18, I decided to ask all of my friends and family to instead give that gift to CACF.  100% of your donations will go directly to programs that will help keep kids safe.  And…my parents agreed that no matter how much money I raise for CACF, they will match it and put it in a savings account for me for when I’m older.  So you do something for kids, give money to a 501(c)(3) (I don’t know what that is), and I get to tease my parents every time someone donates.  So really, it’s a win-win-win.  Thanks for coming to the site. Let's do this!