Mar 15, 2011
Teen Volunteer Opportunities Abound at April 3 Program
From feeding the hungry to beautification of a local park, school or cemetery, there are a variety of volunteer activities for students in 8th through 12thgrades to choose from during the Annual J-Serve National Day of Service for Jewish Teens and Good Deeds Day, set for Sunday, April 3.
Sponsored by the Greater Miami Jewish Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center (JVC) and B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO), the day includes the following projects:
- Feeding the hungry at the Salvation Army. Participants will help prepare lunch for shelter residents, then help set up and prepare a bagged dinner. Transportation will be provided at 9 a.m. from Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, 20400 NE 30 Ave., Aventura.
- Cleaning up Matheson Hammock Park and the mangroves along the shoreline. Transportation will be provided at 8 a.m. from Young Israel of Kendall, 7880 SW 112 St., Miami.
- Putting a smile on the faces of pedestrians along Miami Beach’s Lincoln Road as part of Project Smile, a way to encourage random acts of kindness. Participants will then make stops at Mount Sinai Medical Center and Miami Heart Institute to spread cheer to patients. Meet at 10 a.m. at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.
- Helping to restore the Jewish section of the Miami Cemetery by painting, fixing headstones and sprucing up the gardens. Transportation will be provided at 10 a.m. from the Greater Miami Jewish Federation, 4200 Biscayne Blvd., Miami.
- Painting murals at the Hebrew Academy (RASG) to brighten up the school. Transportation will be provided at 10 a.m. from Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave., Miami Beach.
At the conclusion of all projects, participants will be taken by bus to Temple Emanu-El on Miami Beach for lunch and a closing program. Teens should be picked up from Temple Emanu-El at 2:30 p.m. or their original transportation location at 3 p.m.
In order to participate, all teens and their parents or guardians must sign a waiver form that can be handed in upon arrival on April 3. Space is limited and projects will be assigned on a first-come, first-served basis.
Other sponsors of the day-long program include the Center for the Advancement of Jewish Education (CAJE), Mitzvah Miami Federation Teen Service, Southern NCSY, NFTY, USY and Young Judea. Partnering organizations are Aventura Turnberry Jewish Center, Bet Breira Samu-El Or Olom, Bet Shira Congregation, Beth Moshe Congregation, Beth Torah Benny Rok Campus, Chabad Center of Kendall, Jewish Student Union, The Shul of Bal Harbour, Temple Beth Am, Temple Beth Sholom, Temple Emanu-El, Temple Judea, Temple Menorah, Temple Sinai of North Dade and Young Israel of Kendall.
As the central clearinghouse for volunteerism in Miami’s Jewish community, the JVC matches individuals, families and groups to opportunities for hands-on involvement with a wide variety of local nonprofit organizations.
For more information, contact the Jewish Volunteer Center at [email protected], or 786.866.8414. To view other opportunities for volunteerism, visit the JVC Volunteer Database.
