On Sunday, August 3rd we had our fourth Community Service Day in 2014. We had projects all over Los Angeles, and had over 125 volunteers which was an especially large turnout. As always, these projects are a success because of our dedicated volunteers.
In preparation for the 11th annual National Preparedness Month in September, we assembled 100 emergency preparedness backpacks. We had two sites for this project to provide an opportunity for people in both the city and the Conejo Valley to particpate. These backpacks will be given out through Jewish Family Services to senior citizens living independently in the Pico-Robertson area, as well as in the South Bay.
We began our “adopt-a-beach” program for this year, as we returned to Santa Monica for our first of three beach clean-ups with Heal the Bay. Our volunteers focused on picking up pieces of trash that often get overlooked, but pose a danger to ocean animals and our environment. We partnered with Birthright Israel LA Way Initiative, and asked that volunteers bring a small toy or book which will be brought to Israel this week on a Birthright trip to be given to children through the Israel Trauma Coalition.
We returned to Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC) for our third year to assemble 280 back to school kits. After packing the backpacks – volunteers had the opportunity to hand out these backpacks to the children. This experience proved to be moving for the volunteers and the recipients. In fact, some mothers cried tears of joy that their children would have the school supplies needed to help them to succeed in school.
YALA volunteers came out for the second time to work with students from an incredible organization called Helping Young People Excel (HYPE). Volunteers helped underserved students prepare for their upcoming admission interviews at elite college-prep independent high schools. They conducted mock admission “interviews,” and were provided with questions to ask students and a rubric to score them. These students looked to our volunteers as mentors as they embark on this important passage in their lives.
Thank you to everyone who participated in making this a meaningful community day. We hope you will mark your calendars, and join us for our next Community Service Day on November 2nd in conjunction with Mitzvah Day.
