If the Oshman Family Jewish Community Center had its way, the designated day of volunteering to commemorate Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday, known as Mitzvah Day, would have a slight name adjustment — to Mitzvah Year.
For the first time, the OFJCC, which sits on the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life in Palo Alto, has planned a handful of service projects for Jan. 18 designed to keep some of the 500 or so do-gooders engaged even after the day is done.
“What we’ve heard in the past is people were so energized by volunteering, but wanted to continue their work,” said Jane-Rachel Schonbrun, the OFJCC’s adult community program manager. “Now they’ll have the chance to come by and get hooked in with long-lasting opportunities.”
Participants who want to get involved year-round can engage in a four-hour training session with the Jewish Coalition for Literacy to be eligible to tutor local students.
Or they can sign up for four additional ongoing projects: donating blood; assembling Passover baskets through Jewish Family and Children’s Services; volunteering with Collec- tive Roots, a program that integrates garden-centric learning into schools’ curricula; and making welcome bags for local children with cancer, AIDS and other life-threatening illnesses through Project Sunshine.
To date, approximately 400 people have registered for Mitzvah Day, and Schonbrun anticipates about 200 more will sign up. She attributed this year’s influx and last year’s overwhelming response (Schonbrun was forced to turn people away) to President Barack Obama’s push for United States citizens to give back.
Of course, more volunteers mean more volunteer opportunities on Mitzvah Day itself — 25, to be exact.
Los Altos resident Denise Pope is taking her three children, ages 13, 11 and 8, to Lytton Gardens Senior Communities in Palo Alto to lead bingo and scoop ice cream for its residents.
This marks the second year that Pope and her family are helping out. Last year they were “blanketeers” for the local chapter of Project Linus, a nonprofit that provides handmade blankets to ill or traumatized children.
“We want our kids to be service-oriented, not self-centered,” said Pope, a member of the OFJCC and Congregation Beth Am in Los Altos Hills. “After last year, they asked if we could do Mitzvah Day again. That’s a good sign.”
While a few of the Mitzvah Day projects are full, there are still plenty of activities to choose from. You can be one of 70 volunteers to sort food at one of the Second Harvest warehouses in San Jose or San Mateo.
Or spend the day being a “buddy” to a child with special needs. There’s even a chance to chop off your ponytail (8 inches or longer) to help make wigs for women with hair loss due to cancer treatment. A professional stylist will be on hand to make the cuts.
The Anti-Defamation League is sponsoring a workshop just for high school students to help them combat discrimination at school and in their community, and work through issues of personal identity, culture, biases and prejudices.
“We’re doing Mitzvah Day in the context of Jewish values, which are universally accessible and important,” Schonbrun said. “Even Jewish people who don’t do anything else religious can relate and gain meaning.”
For the most part, volunteers should stick with their chosen project, Schonbrun said, adding that there is some room for flexibility for certain projects. Participants also are advised to check in at the OFJCC about 45 minutes before their projects begin to get directions, meet others and enjoy a free breakfast.
“Mitzvah Day becomes a great social atmosphere,” Schonbrun said. “People can honor the day, and do something meaningful and special with their family. Any project you can imagine, you can find it here.”
Mitzvah Day begins 7:30 a.m. Jan. 18 at the Oshman Family JCC, 3921 Fabian Way, Palo Alto. Advance registration is required. For more information or to get involved, contact Jane-Rachel Schonbrun at (650) 223-8602 or [email protected].