Great Neck Sisters Found Charity to Provide People in Need with Essentials

Rebecca and Danielle Apfelbaum, who are 11 and 13 respectively, created Givers of the World to make a direct difference in peoples' lives.

By Jacqueline Neber March 4, 2020

Rebecca and Danielle Apfelbaum, two middle school students from Great Neck, launched Givers of the World this fall in order to provide New York City’s homeless population with care baskets full of essentials like toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, water bottles, and snacks. The girls have coordinated a team of Long Island volunteers to make baskets and then deliver them to people in the city, and say they have learned so much from the experience of physically giving out the baskets. They started going into the city on Sundays to deliver the essentials, giving out baskets throughout Penn Station and Midtown.

“It’s different than bringing a donation to a school drive,” said the girls’ mother, Regine Basha. She noted that the girls are able to see their work making a difference, and believes this direct community involvement benefits her daughters in several ways. As Givers of the World grows, Rebecca and Danielle plan to partner with Long Island schools to get more kids involved and create field trips in order to hand-deliver baskets, and start a Sundays Are for Givers program where families can get together to help others in need. Givers of the World also delivers baskets to homeless shelters, whose supplies are often stretched thin.

"I believe that it teaches you to open your heart," Danielle said. "Because when you do something kind for someone else you can feel that it has a positive impact not just on them but also on you."

To learn more about Givers of the World or get involved, visit its website or follow @giversoftheworld on Instagram. Donations help Rebecca and Danielle make more baskets: a $25 donates makes one basket filled with necessities, $30 adds gloves and a fleece lined hat, and $35 allows Danielle and Rebecca to give someone a waterproof and insulated full body wrap blanket in the winter. You can also make a donation of your choice—100% of proceeds help people in need. To explore more volunteer opportunities you can do with your kids, visit the NYMetroParents volunteering guide, and for ideas on how to encourage kindness in your kids, just look to Rebecca.

"You can start by doing small things… Like playing with someone at recess who is sitting alone," she said. "You never know how a little acts of kindness can have a big effect on someone’s day."

Main Image: Courtesy Regine Basha