e-Newsletter
Volunteer Resources
Meaningful Mitzvah Projects
Make your mitzvah count. Your acts of human kindness—of helping others—through Jewish Family Service help make the world a better place and bring hope to those in need. If you or your child are looking for a meaningful bar or bat mitzvah project, JFS is the place. We have lots of options for youth volunteers, including short- and long-term commitments. Young people can learn the value of helping others. Contact Nancy Benyamin, director of volunteer services, to discuss agency needs and volunteer options at nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org or 720.248.4642.
Rice is Nice! Rice is more than nice. It’s a dietary staple and an important source of nutrition for many JFS clients. You can help the agency serve these clients by donating and bagging rice—lots of rice. Purchase 25- or 50-pound bags of rice in bulk at a food warehouse outlet and start bagging into quart-size plastic bags. A one-pound bag of long grain rice has 29,000 grains. Bag up 50 pounds of rice and you’ll provide nearly 1.5 million grains to families in need. It’s a mitzvah in the bag!
Diapers for Days
And nights too. A newborn baby uses between 15 and 20 diapers a day—a big expense for those with limited incomes. Diapers are an essential item that can’t be purchased using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (formerly known as food stamps). Diapers are always in high demand at the JFS Weinberg Food Pantry. Buy bulk diapers and bundle them in packs of six with rubber bands for distribution to families in need. Be sure to label the bundles with the size.
Cool for School
If you go to school, you have to have the tools. School supplies aren’t cheap—especially for families struggling to get by. You can help someone in need succeed by donating the essentials for learning. Think backpacks, pencils, pens, notebooks, calculators, and crayons. Each August the Weinberg Food Pantry provides essential school supplies to students so they are armed and ready to learn. Collect any or all of the following items:
| Backpacks | Glue Sticks | Staplers |
| Pencil boxes | Protractors | Dividers |
| Pencil bags | Compass | Paper |
| Crayons | Calculators | Folders w/pockets |
| Markers | Blue and black pens | Folders w/prongs |
| Colored pencils | Red pens | Spiral notebooks |
| Water color sets | Pencils | 3 ring binders |
| Scissors | Erasers | Composition notebooks |
| Rulers | Highlighters | Index cards |
| Glue | Pencil Sharpeners |
Presents with Purpose
Presents, schmesents! Why not generate some truly meaningful gifts at your next family celebration? Ask your guests to bring an item for the Weinberg Food Pantry instead of (or in addition to) a traditional gift and turn your bar or bat mitzvah, birthday, or anniversary celebration into a force for good. Donations of nonperishable food items are needed for individuals and families facing hunger. Download a PDF of our needs for the year or choose items from our Top Ten List below.
Weinberg Food Pantry Top Ten List:
1. Diapers (Sizes 4, 5, 6)
2. Toiletries (full size), including toothpaste, soap, deodorant, and shampoo
3. Canned protein (tuna, chicken, hearty soups)
4. Canned vegetables
5. Canned fruit
6. Dry soup—Ramen noodles are a favorite!
7. Spaghetti, pasta, rice
8. Canned soups
9. Pasta sauce
10. Grocery store gift cards—Clients can then purchase much-needed medications and foods for special diets.
Get Personal
Everyone needs toiletry items, especially our refugee clients who have a difficult time affording hygiene basics that we can take for granted. Consider purchasing and packaging personal toiletry packs to help refugees transition comfortably to their new life in Colorado. The following products are always in demand:
- Soap
- Shampoo
- Toothbrushes and toothpaste
- Toilet paper
- Kleenex
- Cleaning and laundry supplies
- Disposable razors
- Feminine pads
- Diapers and baby wipes
- Lotion
- Lip balm
Food as Art?
Get creative! Consider making your own centerpieces for your bar or bat mitzvah using nonperishable food products and donate the food to the Weinberg Food Pantry when the party’s over. Pineapples have potential. Artichokes are artsy. Lemons are likeable. But flowers just die. You get unique, festive decorations while families facing hunger get nutritious food. Everybody wins!
Read a story from a family who recently put together their own centerpieces for a bar mitzvah!
For more information, contact Nancy Benyamin, Director of Volunteer Services, 720.248.4642, nbenyamin@jewishfamilyservice.org.
