Mitzvah Day

Our temple's religious school does an event every year called Mitzvah Day, at which every grade in the school does a different community service project. Third graders make a dozen lasagnas for Teen Feed, an agency serving homeless youth in the University District; preschoolers turn baby socks into cat toys for the Seattle Animal Shelter; seventh graders restore habitat in Magnuson Park; fourth graders assemble personal hygiene kits for women at Mary's Place; and so on. Each agency sends a representative to teach the students about who they are helping. For example, someone comes from Teen Feed with a backpack full of the things a homeless teenager might carry with her, and helps the third graders understand why those are the things they need. There are about 400 kids involved, grades preK-7, and they do about two hours of service each, so it is really quite a thing.

Mitzvah Day is run entirely by parents. I have been a grade-level coordinator with my friend Christiane for a few years now, meaning that the two of us were in charge of one grade's project. We planned the logistics of our grade's activity, solicited supplies from other parents, lined up volunteers, and made it all happen on the day itself. This year, Christiane and I were asked to be the Mitzvah Day Co-Chairs, meaning that we recruit all the grade-level coordinators, line things up with the agencies, set up electronic supply signup lists, and do all the other preparation so that the grade-level coordinators' job is as easy as possible. We are a good team; we like each other, we get things done, she worries and I reassure, and it's all lined up in advance. I like doing it. I also like making flyers about it.

And wow, is Mitzvah Day ever impressive in action. Christiane and I both spent it buzzing around to all the different classrooms, solving various last minute problems (not enough ziploc bags! need more pinto beans! where are the markers!), and the work going on was something to see. It was amazing being in the position of seeing all the projects, instead of just one at a time.

Second graders making birthday cards for foster kids at Treehouse For Kids.

 Kindergarteners making laminated placemats for the elderly at Providence Elderplace.

 Preschoolers making cat toys out of socks for Seattle Animal Shelter. So flippin' cute.

Sixth graders learning about the clients served by the Downtown Emergency Services Center, then writing letters to their actual state representatives to advocate for homeless issues. (Fascinating fact: They were not aware of how to address an envelope.) After that they put together 100 nonperishable breakfast bags for DESC clients.

Fifth graders bagged 675 lbs (!!) of dry goods (rice, beans, oats, sugar) into family-size portions for a food bank, then figured out what it would mean to try and feed a family of four on $40 a week.

 Fourth graders created 120 personal hygiene kits for the women served by Mary's Place.

The kids felt GREAT, and rightly so.