Are you a teen who wants to spend his/her summer helping others? Do you need service hours? Then sign up for Summer in the City to have a great time meeting new people as you work to create change in the community!
 For more information and to register click here.

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Join fellow volunteers in knitting or crocheting scarves and hats to be included in Winter Survival Kits which will be assembled and distributed to the homeless on December 25, 2012.

All scarves and hats should be returned to Jewish Volunteer Connection at 5708 Park Heights Avenue by Monday, December 10th in order to be organized for Mitzvah Day. If you need to arrange for pick-up, please contact JVC by December 7th.

Basic scarf guidelines:
Adult scarf: 7” x 50” The end-product scarf should be as close to this measurement as possible in order to provide the shelters with uniform scarves for distribution. You may use whatever stitch or pattern you’d like and whatever yarn you’d like as long as you end up with this approximate size and a fabric which will keep someone warm in the winter.
* Gender neutral colors preferred.

Basic Hat requirements:
You may use any pattern you’d like – as long as it creates a hat with a folded rim fit for an adult.
* Gender neutral colors preferred.

For more information, contact Jewish Volunteer Connection, volunteer@associated.org or 410-843-7490.

Click here to download sample hat patterns.

Family Volunteering

Mitzvah Makers Family Mitzvah Project and Fun
Owings Mills JCC, 3506 Gwynnbrook Ave, Owings Mills 21117
10:30am-12pm
Take part in a mitzvah project, activities, and playtime in our kid-friendly gym. Mitzvah Makers is geared towards families with young children.

Homelessness and Hunger

Hannah More Shelter
11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
12041 Reisterstown Road, 21136
Hannah More is an 80 bed shelter for women and children in Baltimore County which is currently going through a major renovation.  Volunteers are needed to provide, prepare and serve lunch for the guests of the shelter, about 60 people.
Project leader is needed to help coordinate the meal between the organization and the volunteers.
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Meals on Wheels of Baltimore County
7:15 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. (different shifts available during this time)
Various Locations
Volunteers will help portion, package and deliver meals or will work on the hot food line at the main locations of Meals on Wheels.  Once volunteers register for this project, they will be contacted by a staff member of Meals on Wheels. This project is open to 20 volunteers.
Volunteers should be at least 14 years old unless accompanied by a parent.

Meals on Wheels of Carroll County
8:30 – 11:00 a.m.
1448 Stone Chapel Rd., 21776
Volunteers will package meals for people that are homebound due to age or disability in the Carroll County area. 
This project is open to 5 volunteers.
Volunteers should be at least 14 years old unless accompanied by a parent.

Nehemiah House
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
8720 Philadelphia Rd., 21237
Volunteers will provide food and serve a meal to the men of this homeless shelter located in Baltimore County.  Volunteers will also be responsible for the set up and clean up of the meal.  There are about 50 men at this shelter.
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Our Daily Bread
9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m
725 Fallsway, 21202
Volunteers are needed at Our Daily Bread to help with the daily hot meal program.  Our Daily Bread serves more than a quarter million meals to Baltimore’s hungry each year.
This project is open to 8 volunteers.
Volunteers must be 14 years or older and a 14 year old needs parental supervision.

Sarah’s Hope
11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m., lunch is served at 12
1114 Mt. Royal St., 21217
Volunteers will provide food and serve a meal for about 25 adults and 25 children.  Sarah’s Hope is a homeless shelter for women and children.
A project leader is needed to act as the contact between the organization and the volunteers to help organize the meal.
This project is open to 5 volunteers.
Volunteers must be at least 13 years old.

Sarah’s House
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
2015 20th St., 20755
Volunteers are needed to create and provide an activity for the residents of the shelter.  Some volunteers may also help sort donations.
A project leader is needed to organize the activity and the volunteers. 
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

The Baltimore Station
2:00 – 4:00 p.m.
140 West St., 21230
Volunteers are needed to assist with preparing and serving a meal to the residents of The Baltimore Station, a residential facility for men in recovery.
A project leader is needed to act as the liaison between the organization and the volunteers.
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

The Helping Up Mission
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
1029 E. Baltimore St., 21202
Volunteers are needed to help prepare and serve meals. Helping Up Mission serves the poor and homeless by bringing hope through different programs to meet the needs of their client population.
A project leader is needed to help organize the volunteers for this project.
This project is open to 15 volunteers.
Volunteers must be 12 or older. Volunteers under the age of 16 should be accompanied by an adult.

The Hiding Place
12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
1732 Dunwoody Rd, Parkville
Volunteers will provide and serve a meal for this small shelter for women and their babies.  There are 7 women who live in the home.
A project leader is needed to coordinate the meal and the volunteers. 
This project is open to 4 volunteers.  A family is welcome to adopt this project.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Seniors

Courtland Gardens Nursing Home
10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m.
7920 Scotts Level Rd., 21208
Volunteers will help the residents of this nursing home facility with an activity.
A project leader is needed to help with the organization of the volunteers.
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers should be 14 years of age or older.

GEDCO:  Govans Ecumenical Development Corporation
1:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Location TBD
Volunteers will help residents of the facility put together cookie platters while discussing the meaning of holidays and food.  Volunteers will be responsible for supplying some of the cookies.
A project leader is needed to help organize the volunteers and to help facility discussion between the volunteers and the residents of the facility.
This project is open to 5 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Levindale Hebrew Geriatric and Nursing Home
10:15-11:30 a.m.
2434 W. Belvedere Ave., 21215
Volunteers are needed to help the Rabbi with the welcoming Shabbat program.
A project leader is needed to help with the organization of the volunteers.
This project is open to 10 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Weinberg Park Assisted Living
7:15 – 9:15 a.m.
11:45 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
5833 Park Heights Avenue, Baltimore 21215
Volunteers are needed at each shift to help with serving meals to the residents.  Volunteers are welcome to stay after their shift to socialize with the residents or conduct an activity.
This project is open to 6 volunteers at each shift.
Volunteers should be at least 14 years of age.

OTHER

Adopt a KIPP Family
Fill the holidays with joy for an inner city family by adopting a KIPP student and family. The KIPP (Knowledge is Power Program) charter school has achieved one of the most successful track records in Baltimore by assembling a community of highly motivated students and teachers who work together 6 days a week, 11 months a year. Get to know the family and help make a child’s life a little brighter by purchasing and bringing holiday gifts on Christmas Day. This experience will be as meaningful and memorable for you as for the recipients of your generosity.
This project is open to 20 volunteer families.

Baltimore Child Abuse Center
11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.
2300 N. Charles Street, Baltimore, 21218
BCAC needs help with assembling “art packs” for kids who are seen at the center. The “art packs” allow children a diversion and an activity to help them resume a sense of normalcy while they are at the center. Children at the center would receive an art pack with a sketch pad, box of crayons, coloring book, a box or bag to put it all in, and perhaps other items such as playdoh, scissors, stickers, stencils or tape. Donations of these items are also welcome.
Additionally, BCAC is working on an “art wall” and needs wood tiles decorated to add to the wall to help brighten up the center. For more information about BCAC please visit  www.BaltimoreChildAbuseCenter.org.
This project is open to 20 volunteers.
Volunteers of all ages are welcome.

Winter Care Package Delivery Drivers
9:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Meet at Park Heights JCC and deliver to various locations
Drivers are needed to deliver winter care packages to shelters throughout the Baltimore community. 
This project is open to 15 volunteers.

Synagogue and School Sponsored Community Mitzvah Day Projects

Synagogues and Jewish Day Schools are generously sponsoring Community Mitzvah Day 2010 activities. While preference is given to synagogue members, these projects may be open to the community as well.  Please contact the individual listed for each project for more information and to register.

 Moveable Feast- Project Sponsored by Beth El Congregation
Project begins at 10:00 a.m.
901 North Milton Avenue, 21205
Moveable Feast brings hope and caring to people living with HIV/AIDS and breast cancer by planning, preparing and delivering nutritious, high quality meals and groceries to people who are unable to provide or prepare meals for themselves.  Once again Beth El Congregation is committed to help deliver food and gifts at Christmas time.  This year we will be delivering on Friday, December 24th, starting between 10 a.m. and 11 a.m.  Each car/van will be asked to complete 5 or 6 delivery stops. 

To volunteer as a driver or passenger, or for more information, call Debbie Caplan, Assistant Administrator at 410-484-0411 or Debbie@bethelbalto.com.

What was your favorite experience in Israel?

Allison Schlossberg and Zack Cardin found community service at Beit Canada with the Ethiopian children especially meaningful, despite the language barrier.  They gained a new appreciation for the hardships endured by the Ethiopian refugees.  For Claire Postman, spending the night in the desert where the group was able to stargaze and see the Milky Way was “unforgettable.”  Juliet Eisenstein had a blast rafting down the Jordan River, enjoying the company of the other Baltimore Dillers. Carly Geller found her host family’s hospitality “so warm and welcoming.” She said staying in Ashkelon was her favorite part of the trip. The night at Hoffmans on the beach at Ashkelon where the Baltimore and Ashkelon Dillers cheered and clapped as they watched the World Cup game was Julia Denick’s favorite experience.  Laura Gevarter marveled over the Shabbat dinner and the Saturday cultural assembly at Givat Haviva during the Diller Congress, especially when the group sang together as “one” to welcome Shabbat and later to let Shabbat go.  Derek Siegel summed it up best when he exclaimed, “It is not fair to make me choose between everything!” Nevertheless, Derek’s favorite time was painting the mural in Ashkelon on the last day of the trip because just sitting down and painting after a very hectic three weeks gave him time to “reflect upon all of the amazing experiences that we had.”

What was the most memorable place you visited?

Visiting Jerusalem was a trip highlight for Allison and Zack and they, along with Carly, Derek and Claire, emphasized that being at the Kotel (Western Wall) on Tisha B’av unleashed powerful emotions.  Both Julia and Juliette described their visit to Yad Vashem as moving and informative.  Being in the desert was “an unexpected jewel” for Laura because “it was the perfect place to think about one’s own role in the world.” For Claire, her host family’s home, as well as the park at which she ate dinner in Jaffa were particularly memorable.  At the park, she had a “perfect view” of both the Tel Aviv skyline and Jaffa. Claire found the “balance between the modern and ancient one of the greatest things about Israel.”

What did you do with your Ashkelon Diller or his/her family that you especially enjoyed?

Almost uniformly, the Dillers said that spending Shabbat with their host family was the favorite activity of their home stay in Ashkelon.  Most found their host families to be very welcoming and inclusive even though the language differences made communication difficult.  Julia savored a traditional Ethiopian feast which was “a unique experience because Ethiopian meals are traditionally served without silverware.”  The Moroccan fish served by Allison’s host family during the Shabbat meal made a big impression on her. She enjoyed all the traditional Shabbat rituals.  Carly met many of her hostess’ relatives during Shabbat and said the “food was amazing!” Derek’s host family took him to an amusement park on Shabbat and, on another occasion, out to dinner for a hamburger and fries.  On Shabbat, Claire and her hostess, Libby, went to the Dead Sea, both for the first time, where they covered themselves in mud.  Laura loved the evening in Ashkelon on the beach at Hoffmans when all the Dillers sat at connected tables, reuniting and laughing together. For Zach, experiencing the lifestyle of his Israeli host, including how he acted and what he did with friends and family, “really gave me an idea of what it would feel like to live in Israel.”  Similarly, Juliet enjoyed spending a great deal of time with her hostess, Shlomit, visiting various places in Ashkelon, such as the school and shuk. Juliet said it have her insight into the differences between living in Israel and living in America.

What was the best thing you learned at the Diller Youth Congress?

Laura learned that one does not need to make aliyah and live in Israel to either help or feel a deep connection to the Jewish people.  In addition, Laura noted that the “wealth of resources” available from her peers at the Congress and their “charisma, passion and intellectualism” shows that the Dillers have the “capability to make a real impact.” For Juliet and Allison, the concept of “peoplehood” and the importance of continuing Jewish influence on the world were the messages from the Congress that resonated with them.  The “instant connection” with other Jewish people, as well as the shared common values, made Derek’s meeting of the North American and Israeli Dillers especially fun at the Congress.  Carly, too, found that “connecting with so many Jewish teens displayed the unity that we all feel.” For Zach and Claire, the Congress evidenced the diversity within the Jewish community and showcased how despite differences, Jews can “be united to help their communities, Israel and the world.”   Julia was struck by Israel’s uniqueness in the Middle East and why it is so important to maintain Israel as a strong Jewish state.

Name a moment where you were glad that you were a Diller Fellow from Baltimore.

Nearly all the respondents exclaimed that representing Baltimore at the Diller Youth Congress gave rise to many proud moments because the group was one of the closest groups and we always were enthusiastic. Most noted the spirit and camaraderie between the Ashkelon and Baltimore Dillers (fondly dubbed “Ashkelmores”) and that at the Congress “everyone knew our cheers and even sang along with us by the end, according to Allison.  Carly recounted how she overheard one San Francisco teen say to another, “Baltimore’s here … it’s about to get really loud!”  Laura echoed that by writing that the Baltimore-Ashkelon partnership was the best all-around partnership and “we cheered so much and with such vigor that we simply blew everyone away!”  During the Congress, Claire enjoyed talking and resting with the other Baltimore girls.  Zach was proud of the Baltimore Park built by the Baltimore community in Ashkelon, while Derek said that he felt like a “celebrity” while visiting Ashkelon and that it had “everything to do with being a Diller Fellow from Baltimore!”

How did the trip change you as a person?

Nearly every teen remarked on how much they matured as a result of their Israel trip and how grateful they were to have had the experience.  All were unanimous in their love for Israel and expressed strong desires to return.  Laura summarized the feelings of many by saying, “the trip strengthened, cemented and redefined my love for Israel and the Jewish people in ways I had not thought possible.”  For Juliet and Carly, the trip made them more open to new experiences. Claire is now more “open minded” and has a better understanding of the different sects of Judaism.  Derek said that the trip got him out of his comfort zone and convinced him that “adding a little spontaneity” to his life is a good thing.  Allison and Julia reflected that the trip connected them more to Judaism and that they plan to be more observant.  The trip gave Zach “a sense of responsibility” and inspired him to “make a difference—to just go and do it.”

Meeting one-on-one with potential volunteers, JVC professionals strive to find potential volunteers the placements they are looking for, whether it be driving Jewish Community Service clients to doctor’s appointments or helping one of our agencies with its grant-writing.

“Anyone who approaches JVC looking to make a commitment to volunteering is considered an individual referral,” explains JVC Program Associate Jennie Gates Beckman.  “I have a conversation with each individual either over the phone or in person to identify where in our community his or her individual talents and interests could best serve. Then, I refer the person to the organization we both feel would be the best fit.”

When Marilyn Shapiro met with Jennie over the summer, she mentioned how she had taught physical education class before retirement and underlined her interest in staying active and engaged with others throughout the community.  Jennie had just heard from the Director of Service Coordination for Weinberg Senior Living, Cindy Zonies, that many of the Weinberg Buildings were in need of volunteers to teach fitness classes. Jennie knew Marilyn would be a perfect fit.  After a few conversations and a small amount of training, Marilyn is now teaching two classes a week at Weinberg!

Last year, JVC worked with more than 130 individuals and that number is only expected to increase this year.

For more information on individual volunteer opportunities throughout the community, contact Jewish Volunteer Connection, volunteer@associated.org or 410-843-7490.

Sherrie Polsky, the Community Life Services Director at North Oaks, keeps the volunteer knitters stocked with yarn and even brings them cookies as they meet each week to knit while catching up on life.

The North Oaks residents create scarves and hats to be included in Winter Care Packages and distributed to local shelters and organizations as a part of JVC’s Community Mitzvah Day. This year, Mitzvah Day will take place on December 24. JVC distributes more than 1,200 hats and 1,200 scarves each year, so the women busily knit nearly year-round to keep pace with the requirement.

“These residents and the products they create are priceless. We do not have the resources to purchase the winter items that are sorely needed by so many every year. Because each is personally handmade by a local individual, we find these gifts even more meaningful and significant. We view this on-going effort as warm hearts creating warm bodies,” says Jennie Gates Beckman, JVC Program Associate.

For more information on how to contribute yarn or hand-made hats and scarves for Mitzvah Day, contact Jennie at 410-843-7476 or jbeckman@associated.org.