OFJCC’s Mitzvah Day brings Bay Area volunteers together for MLK Day of Service on January 16

Dec. 22, 2011 - PRLog -- The Oshman Family JCC (OFJCC) is holding its 5th annual Mitzvah Day on January 16, 2012. This event brings local volunteers together to honor the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. by participating in a national day of community service. People from all faiths and backgrounds are welcome to participate in this intergenerational event which last year attracted over 700 volunteers of all ages.

The OFJCC is hosting over 25 different hands-on service projects ranging from making soup for wounded veterans to habitat restoration and tree planting. Last year, volunteers came from Santa Cruz to the East Bay and ranged in age from 2 to 80 years old. Over 600 people are expected to sign up this year with kids comprising half of the volunteers. For many volunteers, giving back is a year-long practice, but coming together on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day is a way to manifest Dr. King’s legacy of peace, tolerance and equality.

“Many families have made Mitzvah Day their annual tradition,” says Luba Palant, OFJCC Event Manager. “We’re proud to be a part of the generous spirit that thrives in our community. It’s a terrific feeling.”

New projects this year include making sweet treats and cards for families of veterans residing in the Palo Alto Fisher House, painting a picnic area at Family Connections in East Palo Alto, making joke books for seriously ill children and partnering with Habitat for Humanity for a young adult work day. Other projects range from cooking and serving meals at shelters, packing brown bag lunches for the homeless, visits with seniors and making cat toys, dog biscuits and puppet pillows and blankets for homeless animals.

Mitzvah Day 2012 has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Corporation for National Community Service and Service for Peace, Inc. OFJCC Mitzvah Day community partners include: BBYO, Congregation Beth Am, Congregation Beth Jacob, Congregation Emek Beracha, Congregation Etz Chayim, Congregation Kol Emeth, Gideon Hausner Jewish Day School, Hillel at Stanford, Keddem Congregation and Kehillah Jewish High School.

For more information about the event and to register, please visit www.paloaltojcc.org/mitzvah or contact Luba Palant at lpalant@paloaltojcc.org. Many projects take place on the Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life while others take place at various locations throughout the Bay Area. Advance online registration for projects is required.

About the Oshman Family JCC
The Oshman Family Jewish Community Center (OFJCC) on the award-winning Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life serves the South Peninsula through educational, social, cultural, fitness, sports and other wellness programs. The OFJCC aspires to be a multi-generational Jewish neighborhood where all are welcome and which fosters new personal and community connections through rich and rewarding experiences. The OFJCC provides a common ground for Jewish institutions, other local groups, organizations and individuals to work, learn and play together for the betterment of the whole community. For more information, visit www.paloaltojcc.org or call (650) 223-8700.

Press are invited to cover this community-wide event. To receive pictures, arrange interviews or attend particular service projects, contact Rebecca Sladek Nowlis at (650) 223-8663 or rnowlis@paloaltojcc.org.

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The Oshman Family JCC on the award-winning Taube Koret Campus for Jewish Life serves the South Peninsula through educational, social, cultural, fitness, sports and other wellness programs. All are welcome at the multi-generational Jewish neighborhood.