Mitzvah Month was a Success

Together, during our first annual ”Lend a Hand, Touch a Heart” Columbus Community-wide Mitzvah Month, more than a thousand lives were touched through the 24 mitzvah projects and the collections that took place. Our personal connections were strengthened within the Jewish Community and key relationships were developed with the community at large.

The month began with a kick-off at the Indoor Adventure Center – more than 400 people came to climb, collect, donate, draw, nosh, paint, sew, sign-up, toss, zip and schmooze.  This first day of collections not only brought a myriad of sporting goods equipment to meet the needs of the Columbus Parks and Recreation Departments, but more than 8 jackets, 96 pieces of luggage and hundreds of toiletry items were donated.  Additionally, the attendees at the event created 125 activity kits and 50 Surgi dolls for patients at Nationwide Children’s Hospital.  Bringing together the community for an afternoon of fun and mitzvah projects was the goal that was set, and achieved!

Three weeks after the kickoff, on November 16, the Community came out to care, cook, clean, create, learn, pack, paint, and share.  Ultimately the community came out to strengthen our communal spirit of volunteerism.  

The mitzvahs completed on Community Action Day were astounding and to date: more than 688 volunteer hours have been logged; 160 kosher meals were created by 20 volunteers for families in need during life cycle; 120 care packages were put together for our US soldiers stationed abroad; 40 people turned out in the cold to clean the Mt. Calvary Cemetery, the JCC fence line and homes of homebound seniors; more than 30 teens with the help of professional journalists are embarking on a 6-month long project, documenting and telling the stories of our Holocaust survivors.  Additionally, the Columbus Torah Academy, Lifetown, Wexner Heritage Village and the YWCA Family Center hosted over 50 volunteers at each site and benefited from both the improvements of the day and the exposure as sites for future volunteer opportunities. We painted the multi-purpose room at CTA , served lunch, created a mural and hosted an interactive family art project at the YWCA.  We brought the young and adult alike, together for an intergenerational afternoon of activities, among other things at Wexner Heritage Village.  For others, Community Action Day offered the opportunity to learn techniques, learn about opportunities to advocate for the most vulnerable in our community and to educate in effort to achieve social justice for all.

Please know that the needs do not stop with today.  Visit www.mitzvahmonthcolumbus.org in the near future to view ongoing volunteer opportunities and we can always use your help.  As a community, we are already looking forward to your participation and ideas for next year.  Mitzvah Month 2009, October 19, 2009.

For more information about Lend a Hand, Touch a Heart, Community-wide Mitzvah Month contact Avram Kluger at akluger@tcjf.org or 614.559.3234.