Service Opportunities Across Our Ramah Region
With Martin Luther King Jr. Day coming up on Monday, we wanted to share some opportunities for our camp families to get involved in our local communities through service. As we prepare for this summer and our educational theme of Brachot, we are examining how we can best bring gratitude and service into our camp community and year-round programming. We have assembled this list of service opportunities happening around our region. If you know of something else happening, please email pamelak@campramahne.org and we will update this list of opportunities accordingly.
Boston Area Opportunities
The Jewish Community Relations Council put together many options for families, teens, and adults. Examples of volunteer opportunities include painting and revitalizing the Blackstone Elementary School, making sandwiches at Pine Street Inn, and intergenerational crafting and singing at Chelsea Jewish Lifecare. Advanced registration is required for all JCRC opportunities. You can register here!
Especially for teens, TELEM and JCRC are combining to prepare lasagna and banana bread for local soup kitchens and shelters. This opportunity takes places at Temple Shir Tikva in Wayland from 12:00-3:00pm for teens in grades 6-12. More information can be found here!
Another opportunity supported by Temple Israel of Natick is Open Spirit’s Multi-Faith Collaborative Service Project for youth from many faith traditions. Participants will gather at 1 pm at the Children’s Clothing Closet run by Jewish Family Service to play a few games, help sort clothes, and then end with pizza and conversation about the next steps. Youth aged 14 and older are invited; adult sponsors welcomed. Registration is required – click here.
If you are interested in hearing an educational speaker, you can attend the Martin Luther King Jr. Community Celebration with speaker Reverend Dr. Ray Hammond at Wilson Middle School in Natick at 10am. Reverend Dr. Ray Hammond will share his work mobilizing the Greater Boston community and attendees will help assemble lunch and snack bags to be donated to local Natick families.
Additionally, the JCC of Greater Boston has two social action oriented projects happening on MLK Day. The PJ Library MLK Day Peace Mural Project is open to families with children 3-8 years old. Also for families with young children is the Community Project for Birthday Wishes. Preregistration is required for both events.
DC Area Opportunities
On Shabbat morning, Saturday, January 18, 2020, Congregation Beth El of Montgomery County will host a speaker from Operation Understanding DC, an organization that connects Jewish and African American teens. More information can be found here.
Down in DC, Edlavitch DCJCC is hosting an MLK Day of Service with opportunities for teens and families. Projects include beautifying a homeless shelter and packing meals for people who are food insecure. Register here!
Pozez JCC of Northern Virginia is hosting a day of service called “Give Together.” Several opportunities are available, including making cards for youth in foster care, preparing cat adoption kits, and assembling snack packages. More information can be found here.
Connecticut Area Opportunities
PJ Our Way tweens are invited to the Mandell JCC of Greater Hartford to make sandwiches, snack bags, and cards to support local people and nonprofits. Please RSVP to attend.
Albany Area Opportunities
The city of Albany will be observing MLK Day publicly at The Egg at 10:00am on Monday, followed by a volunteer fair. A special musical performance will follow keynote speaker Jesse Holland. More information can be found here.
Anywhere!
Looking for something you do can do without leaving home? Try making cards for nursing home residents or soldiers, adopting an elderly neighbor and baking cookies to bring over, or making a no sew fleece blanket to be donated to a local shelter.