Sunday, August 2nd, marked our Federation’s fourth Community Service Day this year. Over 130 volunteers pitched in on projects throughout Los Angeles. From Hollywood to Santa Monica to Studio City, they all made a difference!
This year, we partnered with Project Angel Food in Hollywood for the first time. Volunteers worked in the kitchen preparing meals as well as assembled fruit baskets that would be delivered to homebound patients. No skills were required to join — just a desire to help.
We returned to the Hollywood Community Housing Corporation (HCHC) for the third consecutive year to help put together back-to-school backpacks. We assembled hundreds for the children who live in these buildings and then had the opportunity to distribute many in person. We added arts & crafts and snacks to the HCHC project this year, giving volunteers the chance to interact more with the families and children who now have the supplies they need to succeed in school.
Our second time partnering L’Dough V’Dough with our YALA volunteers (ages 25-40) at the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust brought together Holocaust survivors and volunteers. The result? Conversation over braiding and baking challah! Survivors shared their firsthand accounts in the Los Angeles Museum of the Holocaust, a setting that added context and power to their words. Many of our volunteers were inspired to stay for a private guided tour of the Museum. We also braided and baked challah with Holocaust survivors at Adat Ari El as part of our Family Day of Good Deeds. The survivors did a great job of catering their story-telling to the younger audience on that special day.
In partnership with the Israel Levin Center for the second time, we hosted an intergenerational picnic at Burton Chace Park in Marina Del Rey. One volunteer brought her oboe and conducted a small concert opening it with ‘Henei Matov,’ which many of our volunteers sang along to. The participants welcomed the opportunity to connect across generations!
Lastly, volunteers cleaned up the Santa Monica beach and enjoyed a wonderful beach day while participating with Heal the Bay. We focused on picking up the pieces of trash that often get overlooked but pose a danger to ocean animals and our environment.
Our next Community Service Days are November 1st and December 25th. Please mark your calendars and plan to join us!
For more information on our Community Service Days, please contact Alana Schwartz.
