JVC Volunteers Thanked, Honored for Service

Posted on 04/22/2013 @ 12:39 PM

The Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) of the Greater Miami Jewish Federation takes great pride in the thousands of dedicated volunteers who committed their time and energy this year to make a difference.

As part of National Volunteer Week, which focuses national attention on the impact and power of volunteerism and service as an integral aspect of civic leadership, Federation and the JVC would like to extend a special “thank you” to everyone who has participated in the past year.

“No matter how we say ‘thank you,’ our feelings of gratitude to everyone who volunteered this year through the Jewish Volunteer Center pale in comparison to the blessings they have bestowed upon our community with their acts of service,” said Mark Kravitz, Chair of the JVC.

Thanks to all of these volunteers, our community was served through:

• Individual Hands-on Volunteering: From playing guitar at a senior residence to tutoring to gleaning a field, individual volunteers spent countless hours helping others.

• Youth and Teen Volunteering: Holocaust survivors, hospitalized children and their families, senior citizens, children with special needs, clients of the JCS Kosher Food Bank, elementary school students, teachers and families, and our Jewish day schools all benefited from the special care of our dedicated youth and teen volunteers.

• Everything But The Turkey: More than 500 volunteers provided 1,500 servings of Thanksgiving side dishes for people at the Miami Rescue Mission.

• December 25 Jewish Community Volunteer Day: More than 400 volunteers touched the lives of thousands of people in need through 11 different projects on December 25.

• Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service: Through a JVC partnership with City Year, volunteers beautified a local high school.

• Super Sunday and Community Phonathons: Volunteers helped support local and overseas needs by making calls to the community for donations to the Annual Federation/UJA Campaign. At Super Sunday, Miami’s largest annual Jewish phonathon, more than 500 people raised more than $613,000.

• Good Deeds Day: Coinciding with Super Sunday, Good Deeds Day brought out the best in our community as volunteers throughout Miami lent a helping hand in even the smallest of ways.

In addition to all of the worthwhile projects, the JVC will recognize the Jewish Volunteer Center’s Outstanding Volunteers for 2013, Anat Garzon, Dean Meyerson and Sharon Rudman at the Federation’s Board of Directors meeting in May.

For more information about the Jewish Volunteer Center and to sign up for other volunteer opportunities, email Volunteer@JewishMiami.org or call Laura Guren Rodriguez at 786.866.8680.