Doing Good

(Salem, MA Sunday, April 22, 2018) During the 9th annual J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day gathering, more than 200 volunteers generously gave their time, care and skills to Plummer Youth Promise and Lifebridge. Organized by Jewish Teen Initiative of Greater Boston (JTI) and Combined Jewish Philanthropy (CJP), this ever-growing yearly event drew participants of all ages from around Boston’s North Shore who were eager to make a difference in their community.

This year, the J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day team was able to accomplish 15 hands-on projects at the two sites, both in Salem. Volunteers, aged 5 to 75, clad in “Doing Good” t-shirts, designed and painted a 32-foot mural, built and painted picnic tables, built Adirondack chairs, planted gardens and trees, prepared meals and assembled gift bags of necessities.

“What an incredible gift and challenge it was this year to be able to double the size, impact and reach of J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day,” said JTI Executive Director Adam Smith. “Teens, adults, kids and families all gave so generously of their time and energy to accomplish a near-Herculean amount of building, painting, planting and organizing in support of two incredible organizations in Salem.”

“Our hope,” Smith continued, “is that this powerful day serves as an example of what can be accomplished, and is a springboard to year-round learning and service engagement for the community.”

The J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day organizers at JTI and CJP attribute the nine-year old event’s success to extreme collaboration, enthusiastic volunteerism and material support.

Donations were given by Bradford Design Associates who created the landscape designs, landscape architect Alison Williams donated planters, Groom Construction donated ceramic tiles for the mosaic pieces, Lassana's landscaping, Northeast Nursery and Home Depot also contributed materials. Several community members purchased gift cards, bed sheets, duffle bags for new foster placement care packages. Other community members purchased socks, underwear, journals, UNO cards and baked fresh cookies for Plummer residents. Dr. Jeffrey Dornbush took photographs and donated toothbrushes and toothpaste for Plummer residents.

"As a newcomer to the North Shore, it was so inspiring to see hundreds of people of all ages come together to give back to the community,” said Gabe Miner, Program Director for Jewish Teen Initiative. “I'm glad we got to partner with CJP to expand the scope of the day and its impact...what a wonderful way to spend the first beautiful weekend of Spring.”

Leaders from Lifebridge, Plummer Youth Promise, JTI and CJP took some time to express their gratitude to the volunteers for their hard work and great energy. From teens to tweens, parents to politicians - and even a few dogs, an enormous amount of work happened in a single day to help those in need on the North Shore.

“Collaborating with BBYO (B’nai Brith Youth Organization) and CJP’s Mitzvah Day, we had around 200 volunteers show up which was more than enough people to get the job done,” said JTI Senior Intern Maya Goldman. “The day started off great with plenty of smiles as the busses with enthusiastic teens and adults arrived … I loved seeing how eager everyone was as they rallied together on the beautiful day.”

“This is my second year doing J-Serve” continued Goldman, “and I hope, if possible, to come back from college next year to lend a helping hand.”

JTI is a nonprofit organization connecting kids to community service, social justice programs and trips. To learn more about JTI which serves the North Shore and Boston Metrowest, visit http://jewishteeninitiative.org/

To learn more about J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day and service programs like it, contact Gabe Miner, Program Director, Jewish Teen Initiative at gabe@jtiboston.org or 215.479.4478

In the photos: 1) Isabel London, 15, and Samantha McKay, 16, both from Marblehead, Michael Kobrosky, 16, from Danvers paint a smiley face picnic table at Lifebridge, a homeless shelter in Salem.

2) Ben Cohen, 14, from Middleton, Hannah Zimmerman, 18, and Shira Zimmerman, 16, both from Peabody and Sarah Cohen, 17, from Middleton added bases to picnic tables built for Lifebridge on J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day.

3) Jack Ruderman, 14 from Needham, at the Lifebridge in Salem, MA where volunteers planted a garden and trees and built picnic tables during J-Serve/North Shore Mitzvah Day.

4) Sofia Vatnik, 15 from Marblehead and Jayla Odorczuk, 15 from Swampscott create mosaics to decorate the Lifebridge homeless shelter interior in Salem, MA