TRS Social Action Committee

In coordination with the clergy, the Social Action Committee furthers the Jewish ideals of social and political justice, serves as the arm of the congregation in tzedakah and mitzvah projects to help those in our community who need food, shelter, and caring, and fosters appropriate support of Israel and oppressed Jewry worldwide. The committee sponsors education programs and offers information on the public policy activities of the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism and the Northern Virginia Commission of the Jewish Community Council of Greater Washington (see the links at the bottom of the left navigation bar on this page). The committee also provides financial support to social service agencies, national and local Jewish organizations, and Reform Movement institutions in Israel.

Social Action Committee Activities

MITZVAH DAY has been an annual event since 1996, dedicated to providing many different types of services to a variety of people and agencies around the metro area, including cleaning up parks and streams, home repairs for people in need, entertaining group home residents, and providing meals for low-income people.

Spring Mitzvah Day is coming!
Spring Mitzvah Day is Sunday, April 25. Every year, hundreds of TRS members make a difference in our community and around the world, giving their time and donating food and other items. Sign up at http://springmitzvahday2010.eventbrite.com/ by noon on April 22.
When you sign up, please consider volunteering for one of our many cleanup and delivery shifts; we collect and sort a great deal of donations, and they need to be distributed so they can do good. It magnifies the mitzvah!

We need donations!

Spring Mitzvah Day is a great opportunity to make sure your unwanted items after spring cleaning benefit others. You can drop off items in the PODS at the end of the TRS parking lot, by the pond. Label your items to make sorting easier. The doors will be closed, but unlocked when the Temple is closed. Simply lift the door and leave your donation, labeled with the project for which it's intended, in the correct area of the pod; please close the door when you are done.
Please give generously! You can learn more about the organizations being helped by visiting their Web sites.
 
A note on donated items: If you have items not listed below, please consider donating them elsewhere; many of the organizations have limited storage space, and may just throw away items they can't use immediately.
 
* Arlington Pediatric Center (http://www.arlpedcen.org/): Children's books, all levels.

* Bailey's Elementary School (http://www.fcps.edu/BaileysES/index.htm) kids store: In-season clothes, toys and books, infant through adolescent.

* Bikes for the World (http://www.bikesfortheworld.org/): Adult and children's bicycles and usable bike parts. Please, bring your bikes on Mitzvah Day; we don't have room to store them beforehand.

* Books for America (http://booksforamerica.org/): New or almost new paperback novels, hard and soft cover nonfiction, CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes -- no textbooks!

* Capital Hospice Thrift Shop (http://capitalhospice.org/): Excellent summer clothing, working small appliances and stereo components, linens, antiques, house wares, dishes, jewelry. Nothing broken, no furniture!

* Childhelp USA (http://www.childhelp.org/): Notebooks, paper, pencils, pens, markers, highlighters, scissors, glue sticks, crayons, modeling clay, small photo albums and diaries.

* Dress for Success (http://dressforsuccess.org/) women's career clothing: Suits, shoes, career separates, accessories and unused hosiery.

* Jewish Coalition Against Domestic Violence (http://jcada.org): Used cell phones.

* Knitting circle for Project Linus (http://www.projectlinus.org/): Acrylic or cotton baby yarn -- no wool!

* Lions Club eyeglasses recycling program (http://www.lionsclubs.org/EN/content/vision_eyeglass_recycling.shtml): Used eyeglasses.

* Lost Dog and Cat Rescue Foundation (http://www.lostdogrescue.org/): Pet food, pet carriers, old towels and blankets.

* Miriam's Kitchen (http://www.miriamskitchen.org/): Travel size toiletries (no conditioner), toothbrushes, razors, nail clippers, Chap stick, combs, and back packs, gym bags or tote bags.

* Operation Paperback (http://www.operationpaperback.org/) book donations for troops: Paperback books, especially mystery, thriller, horror, western and classical literature.

* Our Daily Bread (http://www.our-daily-bread.org) grocery collection and delivery project: Grocery and non-food items, including pasta, pasta sauce, breakfast cereal, canned fruit, canned meat and fish, canned soup, canned vegetables, peanut butter, jelly, powdered milk, oil, flour, sugar, salt/pepper, rice, crackers, baking mix (Bisquick), dinner kits (Tuna Helper, pizza kits, etc), laundry detergent, dish detergent, paper towels, toilet paper, baby wipes, diapers. We're also collecting special needs items: diabetic foods; pull-up diapers; Similac advanced with iron (blue label); Serenity pads ultra-plus; baby wipes; diapers size newborn, 3, 4, 5, 6; Baby food-step 2, Gerber graduates baby food. Please donate reusable bags, too!

* Shelter House (http://www.shelterhouse.org/): New flashlights, batteries and first aid supplies for emergency kits.

* Soles4Souls (http://www.soles4souls.org/): Gently worn shoes, all sizes.

MAZON: A JEWISH RESPONSE TO HUNGER is a national Jewish organization that raises funds for anti-hunger activities in the United States and throughout the world. It encourages donations equivalent to three percent of the cost of food at life cycle events and other celebrations. The temple is one of more than 800 MAZON partner synagogues. The committee provides information to the congregation and encourages contributions. Our Yom Kippur food drive is part of the national "From the Corners of Our Fields" project, cosponsored by MAZON and the Reform, Conservative, and Reconstructionist Movements.

RABBI RICHARD STERNBERGER SOCIAL JUSTICE AWARD is provided annually to an individual or organization in the community that has contributed to the cause of social justice. The Committee solicits nominations from the congregation and presents the award at the annual Social Action Shabbat. (A few previous recipients include Lazarus At The Gate, SHARE, YACHAD, Falls Church Housing Corporation, Arlington Street People's Assistance Network (ASPAN), and others.)

SOCIAL ACTION FUND is administered by the committee. Congregants regularly make voluntary donations to this fund, which allows the committee to provide support to social service agencies and social action projects.

SOUP CARAVAN provides soup and sandwiches four times a month to residents of homeless shelters and a low-income senior citizens residence in Falls Church and to homeless people in Arlington. Regular and occasional volunteers are needed to shop, prepare the food, and deliver. We need drivers for our newest Caravan route, to Max's Place Shelter in Bailey's Crossroads.

SUKKOT IN APRIL: In partnership with Yachad, a Jewish housing and community development agency, we upgrade and repair one or two homes for needy families or individuals. For the last several years, this project has been part of Mitzvah Day, and we have also worked in partnership with the Arlington-Fairfax Jewish Congregation.

WINTER MITZVAH PROJECT has traditionally taken place on or about December 25. In the past, we have prepared and delivered holiday meals and decorations for shelter residents, shut-ins, and our Sukkat Shalom family. More recently, we have focused on collecting and wrapping gifts for needy people. Contact Jenn Rafael, 703-690-9393 and jrafael@navytimes.com if you have any questions or just want to find out more.

Volunteer help for any of these projects is always welcomed. Contact the Temple office by phone or e-mail info@templerodefshalom.org for information on who to contact if you are interested in volunteering. Please indicate which project interests