social_action

How You Can Help Now

Be a Part of the Fifth Grade Books for Krakow Project: The Fifth Grade and the Tikkun Olam Committee are embarking on an exciting project to collect a wide range of contemporary books and magazines by and/or about Jews for the Czulent Library in Krakow, Poland. We will have a book and magazine drop-off box at the Mitzvah Table at religious school on Sundays, beginning March 9. Learn more.

Food Project Organic Farming: Spend Saturday morning, May 31 from 9 AM – noon at the Food Project Organic Farm in Lincoln, MA. Join with Temple members and others to plant organic fruits and vegetables that will be donated to homeless shelters and food pantries in the Boston area. This is a great family activity with children ages 11 and up. A BYO picnic lunch to follow.

Temple Recycling: Volunteers are needed to pick up recycling from the Temple for the months of April, May, and June.

Family Table Food Collection — Shir Tikvah is collecting RICE and TOOTHPASTE this year. Each year we are responsible to collect 50 each of two food or household items to be donated to Family Table, the Boston area Jewish food bank serving over 100 families. Donations can be left at the Temple or at the Vinson-Owen School during Sunday religious school. Make a purchase of one item part of your weekly shopping, or if you prefer, you can make monetary contributions and we will buy the items. For more information on the Family Table program visit: Family Table.

Family Table Monthly Drop-off — Drop off Shir Tikvah’s monthly donation to the new Family Table location in Waltham. All deliveries take place on Sundays between 10:30 AM and 12 noon. Good to do with children of all ages.

Mary's House — We collect for the residents such as household items, school supplies, stamps, pre-paid phone cards. It is simple and rewarding to facilitate one of these collections. We also prepare and serve once a month. These are weekday meals with a craft activity. Cooking can be done ahead of time or at the shelter. Or you can just order pizza. Eating is done at the shelter with the residents. There are twelve families and at any one time children can range in age from babies to teenagers. Great for a family to do with another family.

Somerville Homeless Coalition Shelter — One Sunday per month we provide a meal for 12 adult residents. Bring your donation (main course, salad, milk/bread, or dessert) to the Vinson-Owen School during Hebrew School. We already have a generous Shir Tikvah volunteer who picks up meals from the entrance hallway and delivers them to the shelter. For more information about the shelter itself please visit Somerville Homeless Coalition.

Intergenerational Play Group: Broaden your young child’s horizons and cheer up elderly nursing home clients while meeting other temple members with young children. Takes place first Wednesday of each month, October through May, 10–11 AM at the Winchester Nursing Home on Swanton Street. For adults with children age infants through preschool. Toys and activities provided by trained early childhood educator.

Minuteman Senior Services Visits and Drives: This is the Social Action committee’s most extensive commitment and a way to meet a pressing need in our community. Volunteers work on a weekly or monthly basis. Activities include shopping with elderly clients, delivering meals, driving them to medical appointments, doing yard work, or just visiting. Adults only and background check required. For more information, visit Minuteman Senior Services.

Recycling: Pick up non-paper recycling from the Temple and take to any recycling facility you have access to. Can be done at your convenience, about 2x/month. Two people are needed each month — they can decide how to split up the work. Good to do with children of all ages.

Past Projects that Are Continuing

Nature Project: Every fall we help to maintain the beautiful Habitat nature preserve in Belmont. A group of Shir Tikvah families built a bentwood fence, spruced up the teaching garden, improved paths, and pulled weeds. People enjoyed meeting each other on a beautiful fall day.

Habitat for Humanity: Shir Tikvah members have helped at different sites building a porch and putting up siding. We have been working in Lawrence long enough so that we can see the affect of our work — houses that we worked on in the past are now fully inhabited.

Family Table: Last year we dropped off donations of rice and raisins. The sixth graders bagged groceries and delivered them to families all over the Boston area.

Somerville Coalition Shelter: We deliver dinners to the shelter.

Christmas Hospital Volunteering: We fill in for volunteers each Christmas Day at Winchester Hospital.

Christmas Gifts for Elderly: We pick up gifts at Minuteman Senior Services in Burlington and deliver them to local elderly people for Christmas.

Cook and serve Christmas breakfast for homeless shelter at First Church Cambridge in Harvard Square

Make Christmas Meals: Prepare Christmas meals at home and deliver them to Temple Isaiah in Lexington and help with organizing and distributing the food.

Volunteer Needs for Tikkun Olam Programs

Habitat for Humanity: Build houses for people who would otherwise not be able to own them. This is a very rewarding full-day commitment that involves some physical labor. Good for adults and children ages 16 and up.

Easter Babysitting: We have an exchange program where the Church of the Epiphany in Winchester helps us on High Holidays and we baby-sit on Easter Sunday during their services. A 2-hour commitment for adults and children age 14 and older.

Walk for Hunger: Join Temple members in raising money from friends and colleagues for hunger relief programs. An excellent activity to do with children of all ages.

Family Table: Bag and deliver food to recipient families. An excellent activity to do with children of all ages.


	TIKKUN OLAM (Repairing the World) “Tzedek, tzedek (social justice) shall you pursue.” —Deuteronomy 16:20