Please contact Lisa Berkin at berkins@comcast.net, Brenda Elfman at sbelfman@verizon.net, or Scott Garland, slgarland@gmail.com.

Monthly: Jewish Family and Children’s Services Family Table – Greater Boston’s kosher food pantry provides healthy, nutritious food on a monthly and emergency basis to individuals and families in need. Here is how you can help:

Bring a box of whole wheat pasta and/or canned salmon to be placed in the large wooden box labeled ‘Family Table’ in the lobby. Our synagogue donates 30 boxes and cans of each on a monthly basis.

Food is delivered once a month to Jewish Family and Children’s Services ‘Family Table’ in Waltham. Drivers needed.

September/October 2011:
Yom Kippur food collection drive begins.  Paper bags to be handed out on Rosh Hashanah.  Food is collected before and after Yom Kippur services on October 8th for delivery to the Scituate and Hingham Food Pantries.

November:
Father Bill’s Place - Prepare and serve lunch at Father Bill’s homeless shelter in Quincy. Date: November 6, 2011

Sock drive - donate socks for the needy. Collection boxes to be placed in coat room and classrooms of Congregation Sha’aray Shalom.

December:
Nursing home visits by kindergarten and first graders.

CHANUKAH GIFT CARD DRIVE

The Jewish Family and Children’s Services in Waltham is asking Temple members to donate gift cards in the amount of $25.00 to go with our December 11, 2011 food donations. The JFCS will deliver gift cards and food to those around the area in need of aid. Look for gift cards in the lobby during Hebrew School or feel free to contact Mitch Marcus at 781-749-7426 with any questions. Please place the cards in the Social Action Committee’s box in the office. Purchasing gift cards from the Temple benefits the Temple as well as those in need of assistance. We appreciate your donations.

Babysitting at Old Ship Church – On Christmas Eve - 2 volunteers needed.

Jewish Family and Children’s Services - Chanukah gift card drive: help families in need by donating gift cards in increments of $25.

January 2012:
5-7 congregants are needed to drive to JFCS kosher food pantry in Waltham to help fill orders for those in need and deliver food to recipients.

February 2012:
Health Fair coupled with blood drive and bone marrow testing.

March:
Bake Sale - 4th grade to raise money for PUR Packets, the Hebrew school’s collective Mitzvah Project.

April:  
Spring Cleaning - 2nd and 3rd graders to participate in local park clean up. 5th and 6th graders to work at Weir Farm. Temple clean up open to all congregants.   

May:
Congregation Sha’aray Shalom’s youth group car wash; proceeds go to the youth scholarship fund.                         

B’nai Mitzvah projects – Support our B’nai Mitzvah students as they participate in Mitzvah projects of their choice as part of their Bar/Bat Mitzvah preparation.  
Whether it is volunteering at a nursing home, raising money and awareness for causes close to their heart or helping to collect items for animal shelters, our students learn that they can make the world a better place through their empathy towards others, hard work and dedication. You will often find out about their Mitzvah projects in our Temple bulletin ‘Social Action Corner’.