Source: Los Angeles Times
On December 18, 2000, the Los Angeles Times reported that Rose Lacher, founder of the Jeremiah Society, an advocacy group for Jewish developmentally disabled adults based in Orange County, is closer to realizing her dream of buying a house for these adults. Rabbi Moishe Engel spoke to society members at Congregation B'nai Tzedek about Hannukah. Lacher's daughter, Amy, who has Williams syndrome, was part of the congregation. "The society, which was awarded independent nonprofit status in May, meets the third Sunday of each month with Lacher, family and friends at the Jewish Community Center in Costa Mesa. With $200,000 in hand from five years of grass-roots fund-raising, Lacher said the group is close to its goal of $300,000. As she gets older, Lacher said, her worries grow that she will die without a good place for her 52-year-old daughter to live."