Sid Jacobson JCC invites members of the community to participate in an outdoor day of service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Monday, Jan. 17 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the JCC.
Organized by the JCC’s Center for Community Engagement and funded by UJA-Federation, the day offers various safe ways to give back, including a drive-through assembly event creating care packages for local seniors, a New York Blood Center blood drive and donation collections to benefit local organizations.
The outdoor service project taking place from 1 to 3 p.m. will be a safe drive-through assembly event creating 240 care packages for local seniors. After the packages are assembled, volunteers will be given the name and address of a senior for delivery. All volunteers are asked to purchase one easy-to-grow indoor plant to add to each care package. such as succulents, aloe vera, ferns, English ivy and spider plant.
At the same time, the JCC will be collecting donations to benefit local organizations including: new or gently used children’s books to benefit Book Fairies, used cell phones to benefit Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine for domestic violence, clothes and household goods to benefit Big Brothers Big Sisters Long Island, non-perishable food to benefit SJJCC’s Community Needs Bank, used eyeglasses to benefit the Lions Club, and gently used shoes to benefit NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness).
From 1 to 7 p.m. that day the JCC will host an indoor blood drive in response to an emergency blood shortage. All donors will be entered in a raffle to win a Mirror Home Gym and 12 months of membership. Appointments are preferred, walk-ins will be welcomed if space permits. In accordance with SJJCC COVID protocol, all donors must be fully vaccinated and masks are required.
To learn more or to register to volunteer or donate blood, visit www.sjjcc.org/mlkday or contact Linda Samet, Supervisor of Volunteer Services, Sid Jacobson JCC, at lsamet@sjjcc.org or 516-484-1545 ext. 149.
—Submitted by Sid Jacobson Jewish Community Center
