Submission #27883 by Temple Israel of Natick Men's Club - Natick, MA (733)
2023
I have read the 2023 Torch Awards Program Guidelines.
Sock and Underwear drive
Community Outreach
Page 1
The Men's Club of Temple Israel reached out to our local social services agency, Jewish Family Services of Metrowest to see how we could support their efforts to provide for the less fortunate among us. They asked for help with an on-going, overlooked program they run through their 'Children's Clothing Closet' to provide clean clothes to those that can't afford it. While they get donations of used pants and shirts, of course they can not collect used underwear or socks. So we ran a drive, coinciding around Hanuka, that asked for donations we could deliver to JFS/MW.
The overall goal of the program is to encourage the Congregational community to become more aware of the basic human needs all around us and to share their generosity while doing a mitzvah and showing chesed to our neighbors. Once JFS/MW provided us their Amazon "Wish List" we promoted it via our the temples weekly communications. The program consisted of several EASH ways to help:
1. the Amazon order
a) shipped directly to JFS/MW (HOW EASY IS THAT!),
b) have the order shipped to the temple
c) drop it off at the temple, or
2. for those that might not have seen the marketing campaign we ran a 'pop-up' shop at Sunday school pick-up where we had on display some of the goods that $5, $10, or $20 could buy and
3. we solicited donations.
Fliers with QR codes were put up around the temple. To start it off, the Men's Club donated about $400 worth of items.
We ran in this program around Hanukah 2021, and 2022. Here is a video from 2021: https://youtube.com/shorts/DVawbtsDC0Q
1. the Amazon order
a) shipped directly to JFS/MW (HOW EASY IS THAT!),
b) have the order shipped to the temple
c) drop it off at the temple, or
2. for those that might not have seen the marketing campaign we ran a 'pop-up' shop at Sunday school pick-up where we had on display some of the goods that $5, $10, or $20 could buy and
3. we solicited donations.
Fliers with QR codes were put up around the temple. To start it off, the Men's Club donated about $400 worth of items.
We ran in this program around Hanukah 2021, and 2022. Here is a video from 2021: https://youtube.com/shorts/DVawbtsDC0Q
Page 2
Original Program
Honorable Mention