Project Ideas
These project ideas may help a brainstorming session, or inspire you to do the same at your congregation.
Outdoor and Indoor Maintenance/Beautification
- Cleanup a local park or public school
- Cleanup a Jewish cemetery
- Gutter repair work Rake leaves at a senior citizen home or center
- Paint offices of non-profit organizations and shelters
- Renovate apartments of homebound seniors
- Repair furniture Beautify shelters with plants, posters, and other artwork
- Create or refurbish a recreation area
- Create mural for children’s room at local hospital
Provide Volunteer Assistance to Local Agencies
- Glean at an area farm and donate crops to a food bank
- Sort food at local food bank Sort and prepare inventory at non-profit thrift store
- Stuff envelopes for mailings
- Inventory and organize a public school library or resource center
Activities at the synagogue
- Beautification of Temple (“Spring Cleaning”)
- Blood Drive
- Advocacy – write letters to elected officials
- Write letters to Jewish prisoners
- Assemble information kits on child immunization
- Sort, bag, and deliver items donated on Mitzvah Day: food, clothing, furniture, books, school supplies
- Stuff hospitality bags for shelter residents and group home residents (travel size toiletries, hats, mittens, t-shirts, stuffed animals, small games, candy, paper, crayons, note pads, pencils)
People to People Projects
- Cook and deliver meals to AIDS patients
- Jewish entertainment/holiday celebrations for seniors
- Visit the sick in hospitals and hospices
- Visit local VA hospitals to talk with and entertain patients
- Prepare traditional Jewish food with disabled residents
- Serve meals in a soup kitchen
- Sign up your synagogue to be a partner in the interfaith hospitality network (providing shelter during one week of the winter for the homeless) and hold a training session on Mitzvah Day
- Tape books for the blind
- Deliver for Meals on Wheels
- Host party or story time for children in area shelters
- Assist clients in back-to-work programs with interviews and resume building skills
Craft Projects
- The Gary Rosenthal Hiddur Mitzvah Project (http://www.hiddurmitzvah.org/)
- Dolls for Darfur (www.dollsfordarfur.org)
- Knit hats and scarves for seniors
- Decorate hats for kids with cancer
- Make toys and dolls for children with chronic illnesses
- Make get well cards and bring them to patients in a local hospital
Mitzvah Day Committee Jobs
- Register participants
- Set up and clean up breakfast
- Direct traffic
- Photograph Mitzvah Day events
- Childcare for children of volunteers
- Assist with blood drive registration
