Good Deeds Day

Join Jewish Volunteer Connection (JVC) for our annual Good Deeds Day, a global day of doing good for others and the planet. While Good Deeds Day may look different this year, JVC is offering safe and meaningful ways to volunteer and participate in this annual event that unites millions of people around the world in service. Let’s do Good Together!

Volunteer opportunities will meet vital community needs and are available for different ages, abilities, and comfort levels during the pandemic.

Sign up for one or more of our Good Deeds Day volunteer programs:

SERVICE “TO GO”: Volunteer Projects to Do from Home

JVC is featuring three to-go projects as part of Good Deeds Day. These projects are available for pick-up at the Park Heights JCC (5700 Park Heights Ave) on specific days and times starting Monday, April 5th. They should be completed at home and returned by Thursday, April 29th.

JVC’s project pick-up and drop-off hours are Mondays from 8:30-11:00am, Tuesdays from 12:30-3:30pm, and Thursdays from 3:00-6:00pm. Any other pick-up/drop-off arrangements need to be coordinated with JVC staff, as we are not typically in the building outside of the times listed.
Projects cannot be left at the front desk per the JCC’s COVID protocols. Project supplies should be picked up from the Early Childhood doors—the entrance just before the main entrance of the Park Heights JCC. Please pull up along the curb, call 410-843-7476, and stay in your car. A JVC staff member will bring these items out to your car.

The projects include:

BAGGED MEAL KITS: kits include brown lunch bags, water bottles, applesauce, granola bars, bag decorating supplies. Just add a sandwich and drop off at Bunches of Lunches—register here! These bagged meals will be donated to Manna House, Charm City Care Connection, Beans and Bread, and other organizations.

MOTHER’S DAY KITS: kits include supplies to decorate tote bags, create lollipop flowers, and color cards. These will be donated to moms supported by the Grace Foundation, Asylee Women’s Enterprise, CHANA, and other organizations.

KID-SIZED TIE DYE MASK KITS: JVC is bringing these back— masks are still a huge need, especially for our school partners as they re-open and welcome students back to the building with health precautions. These will be donated to students attending particular Baltimore City public schools. Kits include cotton face masks, 2 colors of tie dye, rubber bands, 2 pairs of disposable gloves and Ziplock bags.

Register for your projects here!
Get Your Kits Here

ON-SITE SERVICE: Volunteering Throughout the Community

DIY Clean Your Street with CHAI
Sunday, April 11th 12:00 – 1:00 p.m. (pick up time for cleaning kits at the CHAI office); event time is 1:00-2:00
*Pick-up Supplies at CHAI – 5809 Park Heights Ave, 21215
Clean up your street/neighborhood
Beautify your own neighborhood with CHAI on Good Deeds Day! Join volunteers around the globe in an international day of service and clean up trash from your street/neighborhood. Volunteers can choose to pick up outdoor cleaning kits, free of charge and provided by CHAI, or use their own supplies. Cleaning kits are limited to one per household and are available on a first come first serve basis. CHAI promotes stable communities for northwest Baltimore City residents through supporting seniors, increasing homeownership and active community building.
Capacity/Availability: 30 cleaning kits are available (1 per family/household)
Register Here

Drop Off Bagged Meals through JVC’s Bunches of Lunches
Monday, April 12th, 9:00am-1:00pm
Beth El Congregation, 8101 Park Heights Ave, Baltimore, 21208
In partnership with Beth El Congregation, we will be collecting bagged meals and donating them to local organizations such as Manna House, Charm City Care Connection, and more. Prepare the lunches at home, sign up online, and drop off safely at Beth El.
*For a limited time, volunteers can purchase bagged meal kits through JVC! Save a trip to the grocery store—CLICK HERE to learn more and order yours. Kit pickups start April 5.
Register Here

Park Clean-up at Herring Run Park with Baltimore City Recreation and Parks Department
Sunday, April 11, 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Herring Run Park  – 3800 Belair Road (exact meeting location TBA)
Volunteers are needed to help pick-up trash and beautify Herring Run Park and the area around Armistead Gardens. Help make Baltimore beautiful while spending time outside. Volunteers need to wear closed toe shoes, long sleeves, and no shorts. Masks will be required, and gloves and water are recommended.
Volunteer Capacity: 25
Volunteer Restrictions: Volunteers must be aged 10+ and with a parent if under 18. Volunteers will need to be able to walk 10 minutes into the park to get to clean-up location.

Cemetery Cleanup with Sol Levinsons and Fram Monument *Project Full
Sunday, April 11th, 9:30 – 11:30 a.m.
Knesseth Israel Cemetery – 101 Defense Hwy, Annapolis, 21401 
Volunteers are needed to polish monuments, pick up debris, and more.
Volunteer Capacity – 20
Volunteer Restrictions – Ages 8+,with a parent if under 18
PROJECT FULL

Serve Lunch at The Helping Up Mission *Project Full
Sunday, April 11th, 12:00–2:00pm
601 E. Chase Street
Volunteers are needed to help serve a meal for the clients of The Helping Up Mission at their Chase Street | Women’s Program Facility.  Volunteers will help sanitize, wash dishes, and serve meals. The Helping Up Mission is both a long-term residential recovery program and an overnight shelter for men and women in need.
Volunteer Capacity: 3
Volunteer Restrictions: Age 13+, with a parent if under 18
PROJECT FULL

Serve Dinner at The Helping Up Mission *Project Full
Sunday, April 11th, 5:00–7:00pm
601 E. Chase Street
Volunteers are needed to help serve a meal for the clients of The Helping Up Mission at their Chase Street | Women’s Program Facility. Volunteers will help sanitize, wash dishes, and serve meals. The Helping Up Mission is both a long-term residential recovery program and an overnight shelter for men and women in need.
Volunteer Capacity: 3
Volunteer Restrictions: Age 13+, with a parent if under 18
PROJECT FULL

VIRTUAL EXPERIENCES: Online Opportunities

Be a Blooper Buster! (Video Captioning Workshop)
11:00am–12:00pm
Presented by Macks Center for Jewish Education (CJE)
Have you noticed the scrambled captions at the bottom of so many videos? Ever thought about how difficult it would be if you were dependent upon them? Did you ever wonder how captions are created, or how you could fix them? Then this is the workshop for you! Captions benefit people with a hearing loss, people who use English as a second language and people on the train who are watching with the volume off! We will demonstrate a few methods for creating and correcting closed captions.
Total Workshop Openings: 8
Volunteer Restrictions: Ages 13+, Basic literacy and computer skills required

Bunches of Lunches Prep and Learn with IMPACT
12:30pm-1:30pm
Calling all young adults! Come join IMPACT as we prepare meals to donate through JVC’s Bunches of Lunches initiative and learn from Cantor Blatt of Beth El about food insecurity and why doing projects like this is so important. During this virtual program, we will start to prepare meals you can donate on 4/12 or later in the month, discuss the values related to this project, and get to know each other. Bring your friends and meet new ones!
Total Program Capacity: 20
Volunteer Restrictions: The program will be geared towards young adults.

“Why do we serve?”- Virtual Discussions with Beth El Congregation’s Clergy and Educators

12:00pm-3:00pm (15 minute sessions- see below)

Help us kick off the 1-year celebration of JVC’s Community-Wide Bunches of Lunches by participating in meaningful discussions around the issue of food insecurity, tzedakah, and our responsibility as Jews. Discussions will be geared towards different demographics to ensure an engaging experience for all! Click on the desired session below to register.

Additional Opportunities Around Town Hosted by JVC’s Community Partners

There are more opportunities to live with purpose and lend a hand leading up to Good Deeds Day…

Bolton Street Synagogue Trail and Garden Cleanup
10:00am
Join the Bolton Street Synagogue community for an outdoor gathering and clean up in honor of Good Deeds Day. Interested volunteers should email Cory Hermann at chermann@boltonstreet.org to register and get additional details.

HSOSC Passover/Spring Food Drive!
Join Har Sinai-Oheb Shalom Congregation in collecting non-perishable food to be donated to the Community Crisis Center in Reisterstown.  As you’re cleaning out your kitchens and shopping for Passover, please think of those in our community that are experiencing food insecurity.  Donate your non-perishable chametz and other items to the HSOSC Passover/Spring Food Drive which is running March 20 through Good Deeds Day, Sunday, April 11.
*For details about drop off days/times and specific food items to donate, click HSOSC Food Drive flyer for community.

Donate Blood with the American Red Cross
Local Jewish Agencies Hosting Drives:
· March 10th – Chizuk Amuno (21208)
· March 16th and April 27th – Beth Israel Congregation- 3706 Crondall Lane (21117)  Register Here
· April 5th – Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC – 3506 Gwynn Brook Avenue (21117)  Register Here

The American Red Cross has a constant and ongoing need for blood donations, but the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in the number of blood donors over the past several months. Please consider donating blood at one of the local community drives happening in the same season as Good Deeds Day. Visit https://www.redcrossblood.org/give.html/find-drive to find an upcoming drive near you.

2021 Good Deeds Day Sponsors:

 

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact JVC at jvcbaltimore@associated.org.

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