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Mitzvah Bank: Hunger, Health, and Human Service

Mitzvah Bank: Hunger, Health, and Human Service

(including homeless, poverty, seniors and at risk youth)

American Jewish World Service (AJWS)

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American Jewish World Service (AJWS) is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality.
Contact: Clara Shapiro, AJWS Communications Associate, at cshapiro@ajws.org

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Create a safety net for Chicagoland Jews in need by providing vital human services within a framework of Jewish values and laws and to build bridges between volunteers and those in need in our community.
Contact: Rachel Friedman, Director of Volunteers and Outreach, 773.681.8982 or rfriedman@arkchicago.org

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Autism Speaks has grown into the nation's largest autism science and advocacy organization, dedicated to funding research into the causes, prevention, treatments and a cure for autism; increasing awareness of autism spectrum disorders; and advocating for the needs of individuals with autism and their families.
Contact: Chicago@autismspeaks.org or call 224.567.8573

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Located at the temple in Evanston, the soup kitchen serves a nutritious and appealing dinner every Wednesday evening, in a dignified environment, to approximately 100 guests each week.  Help is needed purchasing, preparing and serving food.
Contact: Am Shalom liaison, Wendie Dalberg at wdalberg@sbcglobal.net or soupkitchen@bethemet.org, 847.869.4230, ext. 333

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A not for profit organization with three locations in Northbrook, Grayslake and Waukegan the CWC was founded in 1989 to help people live better while living with cancer with information, support, counseling and exercise.   Services are provided free of charge.
Contact: 847.509.9595

Chicago Lighthouse For People Who are Blind or Visually Impaired


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For over 100 years, the Lighthouse has been a national trendsetter in offering far-reaching programs that have opened the doors of opportunity for people who are blind or visually impaired.  These include a prominent Low Vision Clinic, a clock manufacturing facility and a Legal Clinic among other services.

During April and May  groups  help  prepare the Children’s Sensory Garden for the year.

Contact: Dick Carlson at 312.666.1331 ext. 3141 or dick.carlson@chicagolighthouse.org.

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For more than 125 years, Children's has relied on the support of donors and volunteers to help ensure that critically ill and injured children have access to the highest quality care.  There are fundraising opportunities and guides for planning.  One family used high quality stuffed animals as party centerpieces that were then donated to the hospital for distribution to children treated in the emergency room.
Contact: circleoffriends@childrensmemorial.org or call 773.880.8116

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CJE SeniorLife, a comprehensive network of housing, healthcare, community services, education and applied research, since 1972 has enhanced the lives of older adults and their families throughout metropolitan Chicago.  One family got their dog certified as a therapy pet and brought him to visit a residential facility.
Contact: Call Volunteer director at 773.508.1064 or e-mail info@cje.net 

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An international non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives of women in 110 cities across 12 countries with professional clothing, employment retention programs and ongoing support for self-sufficiency and career success. Donations of money and professional work attire for women are needed.
Contact:  Dress for Success Worldwide – Central in Chicago at 312.527.0925 or worldwidecentral@dressforsuccess.org 

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Erika’s Lighthouse is comprised of an adult Board of Directors of concerned parents, mental health professionals and educators, and an active Teen Club.  They strive to break stigma and educate communities about mental health issues through various programs directed toward schools, teachers, parents, kids and physicians and other health professionals.

Contact: Info@Erikaslighthouse.org

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A free support community for men, women and children whose lives have been touched by cancer, and their family and friends.

Contact:  Steve Majsak, Director of Development at 312.464.9900 or stephenmajsak@gildasclubchicago.org.

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The mission of the Glencoe Junior High Project is to enrich the social and emotional development of all Glencoe middle school students by providing opportunities for them to improve the communities in which they live, create positive connections with others and develop into self-confident, socially conscious individuals.  They offer many hands-on social service opportunities including soup kitchens, tutoring, and sports related. Located at Central School in Glencoe.
Contact: contact@gjhp.org or 847.835.7623

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The Greater Chicago Food Depository, Chicago’s food bank, is a nonprofit food distribution and training center providing food for hungry people while striving to end hunger in our community. The Food Depository distributes donated and purchased food through a network of 650 pantries, soup kitchens and shelters to 678,000 adults and children in Cook County every year.  Money can be raised or food collected and donated.
Contact: Maya Garcia at mgarcia@gcfd.org 

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Have Dreams aspires to help children with autism improve their abilities to learn, function independently and socialize so that they may realize their full potential and develop into contributing members of their communities.  To support their mission they provide after-school programs, family and professional services and a vocational program.
Contact: Have Dreams at 847.685.0250. For fundraising, bgoldman@havedreams.org and for volunteering, mjohnsen@havedreams.org 

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JCFS provides vital, individualized, results-driven services for thousands of children, adults and families throughout the diverse Chicago community, including care for abused and neglected youth, therapies and support for people with disabilities and their families, early childhood autism and developmental assessments, respite care, special education, counseling and more.
Contact Joshua Rosen at 312.673.3212 or email joshuarosen@jcfs.org

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Jewish Council for Youth Services ("JCYS") is an independent, not-for-profit agency dedicated to serving both Chicagoland's Jewish and greater communities and developing leaders who continue its tradition of volunteer service. Embracing Jewish values and culture, JCYS provides educational and recreational programs that nurture individual growth and promote responsibility to others.   JCYS Family Centers, including the Lutz Center in Highland Park, provide pre-school, kindergarten enrichment, and before and after school programs and camping programs in the summer.
Contact: JCYS Development Department at 312.726.8891, ext. 122

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The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago is one of the largest not-for-profit social welfare institutions in Illinois and the central address of Chicago's Jewish community. JUF provides critical resources that bring food, refuge, health care, education and emergency assistance to 300,000 Chicagoans of all faiths and two million Jews in Israel and around the world.  In particular, TOV Teen Programming enables teens, ages 12-18, to fulfill the Jewish mitzvah of tikkun olam, repairing the world. TOV can help you find a volunteer opportunity that meets your needs and interests.
Contact: JUF TOV Volunteer Network, 312.357.4762 or e-mail TOVTeen@juf.org 

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JDRF is the leading global organization focused on type 1 diabetes (T1D) research. Driven by passionate, grassroots volunteers connected to children, adolescents, and adults with this disease, JDRF is the largest charitable supporter of T1D research. The goal of JDRF is to improve the lives of every person affected by T1D by accelerating progress on the most promising opportunities for curing, better treating, and preventing T1D. 
Contact: Christine Bissler at 312.423.7198 or cbissler@jdrf.org 

 

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Their mission: helping people with developmental disabilities lead productive, happy lives and connecting with the human spirit in us all.  Lambs Farm is a place where adults with developmental disabilities create lives of their own through self-reliance and hard work in a nurturing environment.  Located in Libertyville.
Contact: volunteercoordinator@lambsfarm.org or call 847.990.3864

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Lawrence Hall is a not-for-profit child welfare agency located in Chicago established to assist at-risk youth and their families through a seamless delivery of services designed to develop the self-worth, knowledge, and skills they need to lead independent and productive lives.  Donations of funds are needed and there is a wish list of agency needs such as books, sporting goods, games and gift cards.
Contact: development@lawrencehall.org or call 312.456.2497

 

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Little City engages and supports individuals, families and communities to ensure that children and adults with autism and other intellectual and developmental disabilities can realize their unique potential to live safely, learn continuously, explore creatively and work productively throughout their lifetimes.  The main location is in Palatine and there are many volunteer opportunities.

Contact: Manager of Volunteer Services at 847.221.7804 or volunteer@littlecity.org.

Midwest Palliative Care and Ronald McDonald House

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Ronald McDonald House Charities

The mission of RMHC-CNI is to care for families of children with complex medical needs by providing comfort, compassion and community.  RMHC-CNI keeps families of hospitalized children together in a ‘home away from home’. They execute this mission via: Ronald McDonald Houses, four in the Chicago area, a Ronald McDonald Family Room in Edward Hospital, a Care Mobile program in partnership with Advocate Children’s Hospital and a scholarship program. They have programs for volunteers and “wish lists” that include a variety of new and unused household goods. Contact: lknazur@rmhccni.org, 1301 W. 22nd Street, Suite 905, Oak Brook, IL 60523, 630.623.5300

 

http://www.carecenter.org/volunteer/volunteer-opportunities

Midwest Palliative & Hospice Care Center is a nonprofit, community-based healthcare organization providing hospice care, palliative care and grief support in north and northwest Chicago, the north suburbs and Lake County, Illinois.
Contact: volunteers@carecenter.org or call 847.556.1613

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The New Trier Township Food Pantry serves as a bridge between those who have the ability to give and those who are in need.   Through donations from the community and volunteer efforts the shelves are stocked with a variety of canned and packaged food, frozen foods, useful paper goods, and toiletry items. A freezer is stocked with vegetables, meat, poultry, and nutritious frozen dinners.  Projects include hosting a food drive and using canned food as table centerpieces for future donation.
Contact: Community Services Administrator at 847.446.8203

 

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A grassroots, non-profit dedicated to helping Ethiopian Jews survive in Ethiopia, to assist them in reaching Israel, to aid in their absorption into Israeli society and to preserve their unique and ancient culture.
Contact: email mitzvah@nacoej.org or call Judy Dick at 212.233.5200 ext. 230

 

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PADS Crisis Services, Inc., is a not-for-profit organization that is dedicated to providing emergency shelter, permanent housing, and supportive services to families with children and individuals who are experiencing homelessness in Lake County.
Contact: Lynn Flynn at 847.689.4357, ext. 121 or lflynn@padslakecounty.org

 

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SHALVA's mission is to address domestic abuse in Jewish homes and relationships through counseling and education.  They have used cell phone and gift card donation programs that would be suitable for a mitzvah project.  Projects have also included donation of toiletry kits.
Contact: 773.583.4673

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North Shore United Way, a member of United Way of Metropolitan Chicago, engages caring people to invest time and resources where they are needed most.  Their work goes well beyond their historical role of funding strong non-profits partners. Today, they are mobilizing all their assets; funding, volunteers, legislative advocacy, technology, in-kind resources and corporate partnerships to deliver transformative, measurable results.
Contact: Gwen Sims, gwen.sims@uw-mc.org or 312.906.2299

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The USO is a private, nonprofit, non-partisan organization whose mission is to support the troops by providing morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The USO provides a bridge to home for our service men and women, providing them and their families with communications access, entertainment, goods and services, and simple day-to-day comforts.  One family collected new games, DVDs and sporting equipment to send to troops serving in Afghanistan.  
Contact: usovolunteer@uso.org or call 1.888.484.3876

Fri, April 26 2024 18 Nisan 5784