Social Action
5782 Plan
One of the goals this year is to offer a mix of opportunities for our congregants to participate in: some donation drives, some hands-on projects, and opportunities for all ages. We hope to set the example for our families that Social Action and Tikkun Olam are some of the most important work that we do as Jews.
Thank you to all of our congregants who donate and volunteer their time for these amazing organizations! And thank you to our Social Action Chairs, Morgan Steinberg and Lindsay Tavor! If you have questions or suggestions, you are welcome to reach out to Morgan or Lindsay.
Check back here during the year to see what we've done and what is coming up!
Click here to view volunteer opportunites in the community
Ongoing
Donations & Hands-on:
Funds to support various projects at Reynolds Elementary. Find out more about this amazing school and how we are helping through both donations and hands-on assistance. This is an ongoing need throughout the school year.
Hands-on:
Every month on the 3rd Thursday at 9:00am, Marsha Abramson and members of the BY Sisterhood coordinate the packing of bags for Kids’ Meals and for SEARCH. If you are interested in joining them, let Marsha know!
There are so many opportunities to volunteer and donate withing the community. Look here for some other local organizations that are looking for donations and hands-on help.
September 2021
Donations:
We collected over 100 pairs of shoes for Sole Loved, a local non-profit that collects new and gently-used shoes for kids at Title 1 and low income schools.
We also collected clothing for kids who attend Camp Impact, a non-profit dedicated to providing homeless and underprivileged youth with an opportunity to attend a summer camp.
October 2021
Hands-on:
This month we kick off our Shabbat Shalom Bag Project, where we deliver Shabbat bags to members of our congregation that might benefit from a special outreach from us. Read more and register!
Donations:
Hanukkah is early this year, so the deadline to participate in Count Me In is October 31st. CBY has participated in Count Me In for years. This program ensures that Jewish families that might not otherwise have the means to celebrate Hanukkah have the opportunity to enjoy a festive holiday experience. Learn more and make your donation!
November 2021
Donations & Hands-on:
We continue our monthly initiative of Shabbat Shalom Bags, where we deliver Shabbat bags to members of our congregation that might benefit from a special outreach from us. Read more and register!
For Thanksgiving this year we will put together Thanksgiving Meal Kits for SEARCH’s newly-housed clients. The meal kits that we will prepare will have everything the client/family needs for a Thanksgiving dinner except the Turkey: canned green beans + mushroom soup + fried onions; canned cranberry sauce; boxed mac & cheese; canned sweet potatoes; canned greens; instant potatoes; canned corn; and cornbread mix. We are asking our Congregants to “purchase” meal kits at $12 apiece. Our goal is to prepare 150 meal kits for SEARCH! Our Religious School students will make special cards for each family and our Sulam students will assemble the bags.
December 2021
Donations:
We focus our energy in December on the Reynolds Elementary Toy Drive, chaired by Jessica Malowitz. Last year we were able to collect enough toys that every child at Reynolds received a new toy for Christmas and we hope to do the same again this year. We will kick off the collection at our Congregational Hanukkah event on December 5th.
Hands-on:
Twice a year we host a blood drive with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Register to donate on December 19th.
January 2021
Hands On:
Tu B’shevat falls toward the end of January and gives congregants of all ages the opportunity to do some hands on work outdoors. Stay tuned for details of some outdoor projects where we clean up and make our environment a better place.
February 2021
Hands On:
February is Jewish Disability Awareness and Inclusion Month. We always offer educational programs during this month, including support of the Reel Abilities film festival, to educate and challenge ourselves to think more about inclusion. This year we will tie in a volunteer opportunity to give our congregants a variety of ways to participate in this month’s focus on inclusion.
March 2021
Donations & Hands-on:
Jamie Garrett will oversee a Book Collection Project headed up by several Emery Weiner students. Just like we aim to give each amazing Reynolds kid a new gift at Christmas, we aim to give each child a new book of their own to take home with this drive. We will kick off this community-wide project at our Purim Carnival on March 20th.
Also at the Purim Carnival we will host our second blood drive of the year with Gulf Coast Regional Blood Center. Watch for links to register to donate.
Spring 2021
Donations & Hands-on:
Before we finish the program year we will have a couple of additional donation drives, including a Back to Basics, where we will collect for essential personal care needs, and our 3rd annual Diaper and Menstrual Products drive for Mother’s Day.
