120 Participants Sought for Groundbreaking ‘Tag A Loved One’ Initiative
At 6:15 p.m., this past Friday evening, February 2, Queens Shmira successfully located a local 81-year-old who had gone missing at the start of Shabbos. The call was phoned into the organization’s hotline at the conclusion of davening and, within minutes, a handful of dedicated members were on scene and canvassing nearby Fresh Meadows streets.
The fast-thinking dispatcher, who also serves as one of the group’s coordinators, was davening at Khal Nachlas Yitzchok, where Rav Noach Isaac Oelbaum serves as mara d’asra. The dispatcher explained the circumstances to the noted poseik, who also serves as one of Queens Shmira’s rabbinical advisors, and a decision was quickly determined that a patrol vehicle could be used for the search.
While the senior, who suffers from a medical condition, was carrying an AirTag, its location updated sporadically, as fewer active iPhones dot the streets on Shabbos. Since the missing man had vanished upwards of two hours earlier, the perimeter being combed was quickly expanded into the nearby neighborhood of Kew Gardens Hills. Thankfully, the matter was resolved by the Shmira search crew just minutes later. The frightened family members were grateful to be reunited with their loved one and for the care and concern shown by the devoted volunteers.
Never hesitate to dial the 24/7 Queens Shmira hotline at 718-329-4444, dispatchers will be available to address your concerns.
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Due to heightened interest, Queens Shmira has launched Tag A Loved One, an ambitious initiative to fit our disabled, compromised, and aging community members with AirTags that are proven to assist in easily locating loved ones when necessary. The initial rollout will welcome 120 registered participants. To co-sponsor this project, or request placement on the growing waitlist, please inquire further by calling the Queens Shmira office at 718-799-4446.
By Shabsie Saphirstein, Community Outreach Coordinator, Queens Shmira
