What an incredible event yesterday at the Interfaith Food Pantry. Eighty volunteers from all participating congregations - Christ Church, TSTI, Beth El and B'nai Jeshrun - as well as students from Pingry and Newark Academy grads joined together for a holiday distribution. Breakfast was served to over 150 needy individuals and families from Orange and East Orange and then the distribution began. Volunteers walked our clients through the holiday bazaar, where they could choose much needed toiletries, gifts and clothing. They also received food,baked goods donated by Supreme Bakery and Panera, and holiday meals (including hams donated by the generousity of a West Orange law firm).
Thanks to all who donated food and other items, to those who transported the donated goods, and to all who worked tirelessly yesterday morning to make our holiday distribution a huge success. What a great way to spend a day of Chanukah - it truly felt like a miracle was happening.
Last week's shocking Star Ledger headline said that nearly half of Americans now live in poverty or are low income. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/12/nearly_half_americans_either_l.html. To better understand how difficult it is to live on such meager (or no) income, take a look at some of the enlightening articles about a recent challenge the Community FoodBank of NJ and other hunger organizations held. http://www.njfoodbank.org/challenge/challenge-recap-journal. People were asked to eat on the average food stamp allowance, which maxes out at $31.50 a person a week. That Starbucks coffee we all enjoy costs as much as an individual often has to eat on for a whole day. The moral - be grateful for the bounty we all have, remember those who can't feed their families, and help in whatever way you can. Bring one, donate your time, support hunger relief efforts.
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Chanukah Tikkun Olam 
Eight nights of Chanukah too often equates with eight nights of presents. Why not set aside at least one night of Chanukah for your family to jointly do an act of kindness towards others? Here are a dozen family-friendly suggestions to get you started.
1. Give thanks for the Chanukah dinner you eat. Then go grocery shopping (or raid your pantry) and donate canned goods so others will not be hungry. Bring food (canned vegetables, potatoes, tuna, tomato sauce, beans, fruit and soup, (plastic) jars of peanut butter and jelly, powdered milk, boxes of cereal and pasta to the bins stationed in TSTI’s front lobby and Religious School entrance for donation to the InterFaith Food Pantry of the Oranges.
2.Teach your children how important it is to do mitzvot. Help out with TSTI as we provide groceries to 60 families at the InterFaith Food Pantry on Wednesday, December 28 from 9:15 - 11:00. Contact TSTI Food Pantry Chair Janet Schwamm.
3.Donuts are a traditional Chanukah food in Israel. A donation to www.Pizzaidf.org will send donuts (or pizza) to Israeli soldiers.
4. Clean your bookshelves for a great cause. Gently used children’s books will be given to school children in Orange through the Children’s Book Pantry of Orange at the Y. Books can be left for 321 N. Wyoming Ave, Unit 2D, South Orange. For further information, email crlukoff@aol.com.
5.Clean your shoe bins. Gently used coats can be donated to Souls for Soles, collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty. Drop-off locations and other information can be found at http://www.soles4souls.org.
6. Color a picture for the homebound, ill, or elderly to brighten their day. www.colorasmile.org.
7. Bake cookies together. Deliver them to your local police precinct, fire station or rescue squad to say thanks for all they do!
8. Pet lover? Donate pet items to the South Orange-Maplewood pet shelter. Or be a dog walker or cat socializer. Jersey Animal Coalition (www.jaconline.org), 298 Walton Ave, South Orange.
9. Computer savvy kids? Click away to provide free mammograms ( www.thebreastcancersite.com), pet supplies (www.theanimalrescuesite.com), hunger relief (www.thehungersite.com), protect the rainforest (www.therainforestsite.com), give free books (www.theliteracysite.com) and support child health (www.childhealthsite.com) .
10. Play basketball together. Then donate $10 to Nothing but Nets, a campaign to stop the spread of malaria through the use of bed nets. www.urj.org/socialaction/issues/nets .
11. Eat latkes! Play dreidle! Then pool your change at the end of the game and donate it to: Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger, 10495 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (www.mazon.org).
12. Write a thank you letter to our troops. It will be delivered as part of a care package sent by http://www.westorangecares.com/index.htm. Let our troops know you care.
Eight nights of Chanukah too often equates with eight nights of presents. Why not set aside at least one night of Chanukah for your family to jointly do an act of kindness towards others? Here are a dozen family-friendly suggestions to get you started.
1. Give thanks for the Chanukah dinner you eat. Then go grocery shopping (or raid your pantry) and donate canned goods so others will not be hungry. Bring food (canned vegetables, potatoes, tuna, tomato sauce, beans, fruit and soup, (plastic) jars of peanut butter and jelly, powdered milk, boxes of cereal and pasta to the bins stationed in TSTI’s front lobby and Religious School entrance for donation to the InterFaith Food Pantry of the Oranges.
2.Teach your children how important it is to do mitzvot. Help out with TSTI as we provide groceries to 60 families at the InterFaith Food Pantry on Wednesday, December 28 from 9:15 - 11:00. Contact TSTI Food Pantry Chair Janet Schwamm
3.Donuts are a traditional Chanukah food in Israel. A donation to www.Pizzaidf.org will send donuts (or pizza) to Israeli soldiers.
4. Clean your bookshelves for a great cause. Gently used children’s books will be given to school children in Orange through the Children’s Book Pantry of Orange at the Y. Books can be left for 321 N. Wyoming Ave, Unit 2D, South Orange. For further information, email crlukoff@aol.com.
5.Clean your shoe bins. Gently used coats can be donated to Souls for Soles, collects used shoes to support micro-business efforts to eradicate poverty. Drop-off locations and other information can be found at http://www.soles4souls.org.
6. Color a picture for the homebound, ill, or elderly to brighten their day. www.colorasmile.org.
7. Bake cookies together. Deliver them to your local police precinct, fire station or rescue squad to say thanks for all they do!
8. Pet lover? Donate pet items to the South Orange-Maplewood pet shelter. Or be a dog walker or cat socializer. Jersey Animal Coalition (www.jaconline.org), 298 Walton Ave, South Orange.
9. Computer savvy kids? Click away to provide free mammograms ( www.thebreastcancersite.com), pet supplies (www.theanimalrescuesite.com), hunger relief (www.thehungersite.com), protect the rainforest (www.therainforestsite.com), give free books (www.theliteracysite.com) and support child health (www.childhealthsite.com) .
10. Play basketball together. Then donate $10 to Nothing but Nets, a campaign to stop the spread of malaria through the use of bed nets. www.urj.org/socialaction/issues/nets .
11. Eat latkes! Play dreidle! Then pool your change at the end of the game and donate it to: Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger, 10495 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90025 (www.mazon.org).
12. Write a thank you letter to our troops. It will be delivered as part of a care package sent by http://www.westorangecares.com/index.htm. Let our troops know you care.
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