Congrats to our February Volunteer Spotlight: Sari Zager! We couldn’t do what we do without the help of our incredible volunteers like you.

Sari has been volunteering with TOV since 2015, participating in multiple disaster relief missions, Mensches in Motion, Feed Chicago, and the JUF Uptown Cafe. She was on the inaugural planning committee of Nourish Our Neighborhoods and she’s currently serving on our Good Deeds Day committee! We wanted to get to know Sari a little bit more, so she answered some of our questions below: 

1. How did you first get involved with JUF/TOV?

Since moving back to Chicago, I had inconsistently been involved in TOV, but when I got laid off in 2018 and had some extra time on my hands, outside of looking for a job, I prioritized volunteering.  TOV had a ton of opportunities to get involved and when one of those opportunities included a trip to Puerto Rico to help rebuild homes after the massive destruction from Hurricane Maria, I jumped at the chance.  Since then, I have loved getting involved in Nourish our Neighborhoods, Feed Chicago, Good Deeds Day and Uptown Cafe.     

2. What makes it important for you to volunteer through TOV? 

 I grew up very fortunate and as I now have my own time and financial means, I have prioritized both giving back and helping surrounding communities, especially during the last two years.  The types of organizations that TOV partners with or the communities TOV tries to impact are very much aligned with my priorities and while giving back through a Jewish organization, I can help others as they need to be helped in addition to socializing and meeting fellow Jews at the same time.

3. Are there any fun facts about you that we might not know? 

Feel free to also share a story or experience that has inspired you.  In college, I jokingly renamed the sleep dorms in my sorority house; one the Sari and one the Zager.  The names have stuck for the past 18 years and whenever I meet somebody who graduated after me from AEPhi at Illinois, I get instant recognition and love telling the same ridiculous story of how the dorm rebrand came to be.  

We are so lucky to have Sari as part of our TOV family! To learn more about JUF’s important work in the community, sign up to volunteer, or to make a donation in her honor, please visit our website.