MERRY MITZVAH 2011: Opportunities for hands-on involvement making the holiday season brighter for those in need. Some projects need help NOW! Check the dates! RSVP to Amy Benovitz at 425-0373.
DECEMBER
1) Winter clothing/furniture drive: With cold weather starting, agencies are looking for warm things NOW. Coalition for the Homeless/St. John’s Center is looking for COATS, socks, new underwear, toboggans, sweaters and heavy gloves for outdoor men. Catholic Charities is looking for children’s gloves, coats and sweaters for immigrants. St John’s Center needs furniture, pans, dishes, lamps and baskets with kitchen items to outfit apartments for their clients.
2) Be a JFCS/Temple Shalom Hanukkah Helper! New clothes and accessories needed for Jewish children in Louisville. Call Judy Tiell at JFCS, 452-6341 for gift list (Dec 10 deadline). Always collecting food!
3) Habitat for Humanity: Join us for a dedication of our 2011 House. 111 S. 41st Street on Dec 4th at 2 p.m.
4) Gilda’s Club: Volunteer at this free community Cancer support group in Highlands. RSVP to Jenn Morris 371-3051.
*Temple WRJ is sponsoring a December dinner Tues., Dec. 6, contact Sandy Braunstein 423-1818. *Bring your group to a Card (making) Party!
5) Wellspring’s “Concord House” Holiday Brunch for 8 women managing their lives and mental illnesses Dec. 11, 1-2:30 p.m., 3337 Breckinridge Lane. These ladies LOVE US! Amy has gift list including single serving frozen soups.
6) Schuhman Center: Help assemble food baskets at Christ Church Cathedral, 2nd & Liberty St. from 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Dec. 12, 13, 14th, 5-7 volunteers per day.
7) Brooklawn Children’s Home: BE AN ELF! 6-10 volunteers needed to help wrap gifts for residents on Fri., Dec. 16 10-12 a.m. or 2-4 p.m. at 2125 Goldsmith Lane. Just bring scissors.
8) Cathedral of the Assumption Soup Kitchen:Serve lunch Christmas week 10:45 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Dec. 20, 22, 23, 25 & 27. 5 volunteers are needed per shift at 443 S. Fifth. Also need 15 doz. cookies per shift. Ages 12 and up. They are also looking for donations of extra hotel toiletries, toothpaste, lip balm or hand sanitizer.
9) St John’s Men’s Center: Needs 35 dozen plain sugar cookies for a Holiday Party Sunday, Dec. 4. We need the cookies, tubs of icing and sprinkles so the clients can decorate them!
10) Hospice Musicians: Your beautiful music is a wonderful gift. Pick your time on Christmas to play at 6th floor nurses station of downtown Norton Hosparus Pavilion.
11) Home of the Innocents: Read to and bake cookies with medically fragile residents on Dec. 25 at 10 a.m., 1100 E. Market Street.
12) Center for Women and Families: Provide and/or serve soup and salad on Dec. 25 for 60 residents at 927 S. Second Street at either lunch 11:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. or dinner 4:15-6:15 p.m. Also collecting diapers of all sizes, pull-ups and wipes!
13) Ronald McDonald House: Provide and serve brunch for about 35 residents at 550 S. First Street, Dec. 25 from 9-11 a.m. (families welcome). RSVP to Marci Rosengarten, Moss0806@aol.com
14) St Vincent DePaul Open Hand Kitchen: Need 10 volunteers to serve lunch Dec. 23 and 25 11:30 a.m.-1:30 pm. 1026 S. Jackson St. Must be 16.
15) Maryhurst Girl’s Home: Brunch at Dorsey Lane on Dec. 25 – a Temple Shalom coordinated event, contact Kathy Fields.
16) Ardery & Journey Houses: Provide gifts and Pizza Party for 10 residents at each of these Wellspring Houses. Wellspring provides support for people with mental illnesses.
17) Volunteers of America Family Emergency Shelter: Play with children and volunteer in the NEW play room @ 1321 S. Preston anytime on Dec. 25. or serve (and perhaps sponsor?) dinner Dec 25 at 5 p.m. GREAT family or group event.
18) St Vincent DePaul: Make 500 sandwiches at The Temple. Meet at Temple kitchen, Sun., Jan. at 1 p.m. Call Rabbi David 423-1818 to RSVP and for food assignment. These men only get lunch on Jan. 1 so the sandwhiches will be especially welcome when they re-enter the shelter.
19) Catholic Charities Rescue Agency: Needs volunteers to adopt one of 250 immigrant families to buy a new outfit and a toy for each child in the family. The also urgently need ALL LINENS, towels, pots and pans, kitchenware, children’s mittens, caps, gloves and scarves, plus laundry and new home set up baskets. Drop off at Temple. Call Amy or contact Chris Clements directly at Catholic Charities 636-9263 x145.
20) West End School: Volunteers will help make/serve meals to boarding school boys in middle school. You will also help organize a brand new kitchen, tutor or teach. Especially looking for large casseroles and donations to furnish their new institutional kitchen! Contact Amy Trager abtrager@yahoo.com or Sandra Trager tra10ec@aol.com for cooking. Wish list includes: sports equipment, clothes, school supplies, paper products, boats, canoes, kayaks, large cooking equipment, cleaning supplies.