The Blue Card, Inc.

Holocaust survivors live with a deeply ingrained and severe fear of institutionalization, a haunting remnant of their experiences during the Nazi regime. Holocaust survivors, now in their late 70’s, 80’s, 90’s and some even over the age of 100 are rapidly aging, become homebound and depending increasingly on outside help.

What is even more alarming is that falls are the leading cause of fatal and nonfatal injuries among older adults. Every 19 minutes in this country, an older-adult dies from a fall. More than a quarter of individuals age 65 and older fall each year, and falling once doubles their chances of falling again, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A fall that may be run-of-the-mill for a young person but can be very dangerous for the elderly. A frequent aftermath when older people fall is a heightened fear of falling, prompting them to limit their activities and cause further physical decline, depression and social isolation, which in turn can hasten death.
One fall in five among older adults results in a serious injury, and older people are less able to recover from the trauma physically and emotionally.

Our lifesaving programs are designed to keep survivors in their homes for as long as possible.
Our overarching goal is aimed to ensure that aging Holocaust survivors are safe in their homes and not at risk of being institutionalized. We have therefore designed core programs aimed at ensuring that needy Holocaust survivors remain in their homes for as long as possible.

To deliver these programs and services, The Blue Card works with a network of approximately 172 social service agencies and Jewish organizations nationwide who refer and help vet clients. The Blue Card’s staff work with referring agencies to verify the status of individuals seeking aid from the organization as Holocaust survivors and clients’ statuses are regularly reviewed. We collect feedback from referral agencies and clients to evaluate programs and identify new needs.

The Blue Card is a trusted agency with a strong service and operational performance history. In 2020, The Blue Card received a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, America’s largest and most-utilized independent evaluator of charities. We are recognized with the Best in America Seal of Excellence from The Independent Charities of America. Furthermore, we are certified by the Better Business Bureau as having met all BBB standards and have been awarded the BBB Charitable Giving Alliance Seal and was named as one of the best Jewish charities since 2012.

As an organization with longstanding programs, we are properly equipped to provide much needed assistance to needy Holocaust survivors. Our executive staff comprised of an executive director and an associate executive director have been with the organization for over a decades and are guided by the Board of Directors. Our Board of Directors, some are children or grandchildren of the original founders of the organization have led the organization’s efforts since the organization’s inception over 80 years ago.

Our nationwide impact and the lives we continue to touch each day speak for itself. We are proud of the work that we do and take proud in our partnerships with some of our biggest supporters.

The Blue Card was established by the Jewish community in Germany in 1934, to help Jews already being affected by Nazi restrictions through loss of jobs, forcibly closed businesses and other forms of oppression. The Blue Card was later reestablished in the United States to continue aiding refugees of Nazi persecution resettling in America. After the Holocaust, the mission of the organization was expanded to help survivors of the Shoah from all European countries. The Blue Card continues its work in the United States to this day and presently, we are the only organization of its kind providing urgent, life-saving assistance to Holocaust survivors.
We have come a very long way from our humble, German roots that started as a community effort and today, are a national organization dedicated to helping over 3,000 Holocaust survivors in 35 states.
These lifesaving programs were carefully designed over the years to assist our survivors to make sure all gaps of need are filled. We are constantly evolving and educating ourselves on all matters pertaining the elderly community to best serve our survivors.
As today's technology is advancing and is serving the elderly population, we are pleased to announce the following, The Blue Card Tech Friendly Aging Programs, which we established in 2020:
1. LIFTWARE Utensils - Liftware is an electronic stabilizing handle and a selection of attachments that include a soup spoon, everyday spoon, fork, and spork. Liftware Steady is designed to help people with hand tremor, which may be related to Parkinson's disease or essential tremor, eat more easily. Holocaust survivors suffering with Parkinson’s Disease and other debilitating illnesses benefit tremendously from this special stabilizing unit.
2. Mood Restore Light Box - Intelligent Light Therapy - A special, compact and portable, UV free unit provides much needed light therapy to Holocaust survivors. In addition to effectively treating Season Affective Disorders (SAD), the Mood Restore Light Box, improves visual clarity and color rendering, as well as offset season weather and climate changes, and helps support the circadian rhythm regulation. This light box works wonders for thousands of our lonely survivors especially those who are shut-ins and are home-bound during the colder winter days.
3. Companion Pets - Companion pets bring comfort and happiness to the older population with interactive, cats and dogs that replicate the look, sounds and feel of real pets. Many studies have found that these pets have the ability to enhance one’s well-being and quality of life through companionship.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic The Blue Card has been adapting our programs to support survivors quarantining in their homes by providing PPE, food deliveries, and additional financial support.