Speed Networking and Mitzvah Day
We adapted our follow-on projects with inspiration from Kehillat Aviv in Valencia, setting up a series of activities to improve and enhance the volunteer culture at SAMS.
First, on Sunday, 17 May 2009, we ran a Lag b'Omer CAFE, with an Israeli breakfast for everyone, sponsored by the Grundtvig programme, and a session called 'Speed Networking: What SAMS can do for you & what you can do for SAMS'. The idea was based on 'speed dating': representatives from each of 8 shul committees had 2 minutes to present to each participant a brief description of their committee's work and what help was needed. At the end the participants filled out a card noting which committee they wanted to join.
Through this CAFE event, we increased the involvement of seniors – the breakfast was in fact organized entirely by senior members – as well as other adults from our organization. From the Speed Networking session, our Membership Secretary was able to recruit enough volunteers to set up a new working group to help improve new membership administration and communication.
Our second project was Mitzvah Day, which took place on Sunday, 15 November 2009. Mitzvah Day is the perfect volunteer project – it encourages members of an organization to act collectively to give time (rather than money) by doing good deeds – and it enabled us to take our volunteering skills outside our organization to benefit the wider local community.
For Mitzah Day, we were able to harness the energy of dozens of our members, who took part in two special projects:
- A collectethon for the Herts Young Homeless Group, a local charity: we collected low-cost household items purchased by shoppers at a local store, which then go to young people with few resources who must live on their own for the first time.
- A teenage interfaith event that brought young Jews together with Muslim refugees: Cooking, chatting and socializing helped these young asylum seekers feel less isolated. Our organization received a runner up award for the Best Mitzvah Project for 2009 for this project.
For Mitzvah Day 2010, we will once again support these charities as well as some new ones, engaging even more volunteers from our organization in this special event.
