The Season for Giving

By Lori on 01/05/2011 @ 12:56 PM

Many people find the months of November and December to be the months of cooler air, red Starbucks cups, feel-good food and shopping. Here at the JVC, we found that these months are times where people enjoy giving back. With close to 1,000 community volunteers in November and December, the JVC certainly sees this time as the season for giving back.

In November, 500 people gathered together in both North and South Dade to prepare nearly 2,000 meals for the needy. As I sat on my couch one night watching the 7 p.m. news, I saw a clip of the Miami Rescue Mission’s Thanksgiving feast. In the next clip, I saw our tin pans filled with the delicious stuffing we prepared being served to a large line of men and women lining up to receive a warm holiday meal; I immediately changed my Facebook and Twitter status to reflect the accomplishment of the JVC! What a great feeling it was to see the fruits of our labor in real time!

Last week, nearly 500 people from our community volunteered. From feeding the homeless to visiting the sick, families, friends and singles devoted their day to serving others. One volunteer who visited the Ronald McDonald House gave a blind child a gift with lots of sounds, lights and textures so that the child could “see” through stimulation. When the child received the gift he asked, “Are you Santa?” The volunteer responded, “how did you know!” It is these moments that make opportunities to give back to the needy so worthwhile.

In the New Year, I hope you will stay connected or will become connected to the awesome projects coming up. Next month on MLK Day, we will be participating in a day of service learning for families at an organic garden in Overtown. In addition, Super Sunday and J-Serve/Mitzvah Miami, our youth day of service, are right around the corner. Please give me a call if you would like to get involved in these projects or any other individual volunteer opportunities in our community.

Remember, go forth and do small things! Help make our world a better place to live.

In the spirit of service,
Lori