Baltimore, MD - Dec. 26, 2019 - With many in the Jewish community off on December 25, volunteers poured into the Weinberg Park Heights JCC looking to give back. On this third day of Chanukah, they, and their families, had come out to help those in need throughout Baltimore City and County.

As they filed around the long tables in the JCC auditorium, they filled bag after bag with a combination of hand-knit winter scarves, hats, socks, toiletries, food and other items. More than two thousand of these winter care packages were later distributed to people in need throughout the community.

In all, more than a thousand Baltimoreans came together to take part in Jewish Volunteer Connection’s (JVC) 14th annual Community Mitzvah Day. In addition to assembling winter care packages, they made peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, blankets, cards and other crafted gifts to give to those in need.

In addition to the activities at the Weinberg Park Heights JCC, Community Mitzvah Day offered volunteer opportunities at the Rosenbloom Owings Mills JCC and throughout the Baltimore community. Volunteers led a game night at the Ronald McDonald House, socialized and served food to the elderly at facilities such as Weinberg Park Assisted Living, and provided food at emergency shelters for families in crisis.

“[Mitzvah Day] gives kids in particular a way to bridge what might be a gap between their perception of who needs help in our community and the reality, which is that they are people just like us,” said Community Mitzvah Day Chair Deborah Harburger. JVC is a program of The Associated: Jewish Federation of Baltimore.

In addition to matching individuals with volunteer opportunities, JVC coordinates four community-wide volunteer opportunities a year. Its next large day of service is Monday, January 20 as part of MLK Jr. National Day of Service.

Learn more about JVC’s MLK Day of Service and how to sign up at jvcbaltimore.org. (Use this link to hyperlink for jvcbaltimore.org) https://jvcbaltimore.org/annualevents/mlk-day-of-service/