Volunteers serve food at JUF’s Uptown Cafe on Sunday, April 10 as part of Good Deeds Day in Chicago. (Photo by Robert F. Kusel)

More than 1,000 volunteers came out across the Chicago area on Sunday, April 10th to participate in Good Deeds Day, a large-scale, community-wide event presented by JUF’s TOV Volunteer Network in partnership with the Jewish Teen Alliance of Chicago, BBYO’s Great Midwest Region, and local Hillels. Volunteers of all ages came out for more than 42 projects spanning 34 sites across Chicago – contributing what amounts to a total of several thousand service hours.

“The day was incredibly exciting,” said Marisa Mandrea, TOV volunteer and Good Deeds Day event chair. “It was a tremendous opportunity for people all over Chicagoland to take part in a mitzvah activity. It’s particularly special to see little children participating, doing their part for the community.”

Activities ran the gamut from sorting food at local pantries, to hosting Bingo with senior citizens, cooking and serving meals for the homeless, designing a mosaic at a Chicago public school, playing games with children with special needs, and everything in between, with opportunities for every interest and skill level.

Volunteers were also invited to an open house at the Bernard Weinger JCC in Northbrook, where good deed-doers made sack lunches for those in need, assembled pediatric hospital care packages, decorated cards for cancer fighters, and made sleeping mats for the homeless. The open house also included a blood drive, and a meet-up for adoptive families through Project Esther.

Born in Israel, Good Deeds Day is now a global movement that unites more than 70 countries in the spirit of community service.

“We were thrilled to once again join forces with the global Good Deeds Day movement,” said Marissa Comin, TOV’s Assistant Director. “As one of the largest volunteer networks in the community, it was a natural fit for us! We couldn’t be prouder of all of our wonderful staff, volunteers, and partners – and of course all of the amazing agencies we worked with to put this special day together.”

TOV serves as JUF’s connection point for people who want to give back through hands-on volunteering. In accordance with tikkun olam, the Jewish concept of repairing the world, TOV connects members of the Jewish community with rewarding volunteer opportunities that best meet their interests and needs.

Chicago’s Good Deeds Day is made possible in part by JUF’s Breakthrough Fund, which supports innovative and leading-edge local programs.

TOV would like to thank its many partners in making Good Deeds Day possible: A Just Harvest, The ARK, Bernhard Moss Elementary School, Blessings in a Backpack, Brentwood North, Chai Lifeline, Chicago Chesed Fund, CJE Senior Life Gidwitz Place for Assisted Living, Cornerstone Community Outreach, Cradles to Crayons, Cranes for Courage, EZRA, The Firehouse Community Arts Center, House of Good Shepherd, Imerman Angels, Inspiration Cafe, Jewish Child & Family Services, KEEN, LifeSource, Lone Soldier Connect, Maot Chitim, Mt Sinai Hospital, New Life for Old Bags, Northfield Township Food Pantry, Pushing the Envelope Farm, Respond Now, Ronald McDonald House near Lurie Children’s, South Suburban Family Shelter, South Suburban PADS, Twist Out Cancer, Uptown Cafe, JCC Chicago, Big Tent Judaism, NFTY and USY (through Jewish Teen Alliance of Chicago); member synagogues of the Northwest Suburban Collaborative: Temple Beth El, Congregation Beth Judea, Congregation Beth Am, Congregation Or Shalom, Shir Hadash Synagogue, Temple Chai; Hillel Project members The Dreamcatcher Foundation, Red Bison Restoration Project, Youth Outreach Services and Sarah’s Circle.

Special thanks to the Board of Jewish Education of Metropolitan Chicago, Congregation B’nai Tikvah, Temple Jeremiah, and North Shore Congregation Israel for help with recruitment.

For more information on TOV opportunities throughout the year, visit juf.org/tov.