Volunteer Projects and Ideas during Coronavirus Situation

projects & ideas

Foster a pet.
Animals need foster homes while waiting to find their forever home, especially now while there are limited volunteer resources onsite to care for animals. This is great for all ages, especially those who live alone and are looking for companionship during this time of physical distancing and isolation.
• Big Dog Ranch Rescue
• Peggy Adams
• Furry Friends

Donate kosher food and toiletries to our community’s Kosher Food Pantry.
Managed by our partners at Alpert Jewish Family Service (JFS), the Kosher Food Pantry benefits local people in need. Take some time to collect items for JFS to distribute; they are seeking toilet paper, paper towels, laundry detergent, toothpaste, soup, spaghetti sauce, canned fruit and canned tuna. When you’re ready, please call Alpert JFS at 561.684.1991 to find out where to drop off your donation. If you would like to inspire others to do the same, post about your mitzvah (good deed) on social media, tagging our Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center with @JVCPalmBeach and using #beamensch.

Collect food to donate to a food bank.
Perfect when you are cleaning your house for Passover! Put together a box of canned good and other non-perishables (or chametz!) that you may not need. Many donation sites may be closed, but you can donate them when they reopen.
• Palm Beach County Food Bank
• CROS Ministries

Collect clothing to donate.
Cleaning out and organizing your closet is a great way to pass the time, and your clothes may be a great resource for someone in need. Note that many donation sites may be closed, but you can donate them when they reopen.
• Place of Hope (especially kids’ clothing, toiletries and other items)
• Joshua Tree Thrift Shop
• Dress For Success
• St. Ann’s Place (in need of toiletries, too)

Collect books to donate.
Clean out those dusty book shelves! Note that many book collection and donation sites may be closed, but you can donate them when they reopen.
• Palm Beach County Libraries
• Literacy Coalition
• Place of Hope

Donate household items when collection sites reopen.
Clean out dishes, serving pieces, flatware and more that could be of use to someone in need. While many donation sites may be closed, you can bring what you’ve collected when they reopen.
• Place of Hope
• Joshua Tree Thrift Shop

Scavenger hunt for loose change around the house.
Search your home to find loose change for tzedakah box to donate to organization of choice. Spend time researching organizations online to determine where to donate. This is a great way to being teaching your youngsters about the impact and importance of philanthropy.
If you’d like to support the Jewish Volunteer Center, please contribute to Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County here.

Check in on a neighbor to see if they need help.
Once you’ve made sure you and yours are all taken care of, check in on a neighbor who may need food or need to have something picked up. Seniors in particular may be having a difficult time or be anxious about going out right now, and they may not be comfortable taking the first step in asking for help.

Reach out to someone to brighten their day.
Call or video chat with a friend or family member who you know is living alone or sick. Reaching out to people and seeing faces or hearing a voice can go a long way during this time while people many feel isolated.

Save a life from home with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry.
From the comfort and safety of your home, join the life-saving efforts of the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry. Click here to join our Federation donor circle. On the right side of the page, click the “get swabbed” button to request a swab kit to be sent to your home.
This initiative is a collaboration between JVC, Business & Professionals (B&P), Emerging Leadership Program (ELP) and PJ Library®

Make a no-sew blanket for a local children’s hospital to share with its patients.
Create a special blanket to spread love to children who are sick or in recovery. Don’t know how to sew? No problem. Click here to learn how to make a no-sew blanket. While many hospitals and care centers may currently not be allowing donations, we are in touch with our local partners and can ensure your blanket gets to them once safe to do so.
• Send us an email when you’ve created your blanket, and we’ll connect with local children’s hospitals for delivery protocols.

Send a “Happy Day” message to seniors living in isolation.
Have fun filling out this Wishing You a Happy Day sheet, then take a picture or scan it and email it to erika.simon@jewishpalmbeach.org, or mail it to Erika Simon at 1 Harvard Circle, Suite 100 West Palm Beach, FL 33409. We will make sure seniors in the Palm Beaches receive your Happy Day wishes.

Take the Summer Mitzvah A Day Challenge, in partnership with PJ Library^®.
Summer is here – let’s do good deeds and challenge our friends to do the same! Click here for a fun list of ideas such as hanging a sign on your door for the mail carrier, inviting someone to join you for dinner by video, drawing a cheerful sidewalk chalk message, making cards for isolated seniors and creating origami hearts to send to loved ones kindness. It doesn’t matter how small.

Take photos of your mitzvot and when you post about it on Facebook, tag us @JVCPalmBeach so we can inspire others.

This initiative is a collaboration between JVC and PJ Library®.

Write sidewalk messages of positivity and kindness.
Many people are using this time to take walks around their neighborhood. What if they could be inspired when they walk by your home? Use sidewalk chalk on your driveway or walkway to lift the spirits of those who pass by.

Share kindness on social media.
There is enough bad news to go around right now. Be a source of good and kindness to help people get through this unsettling situation. Share an inspiring quote or write something nice on the social media page of a friend or family member who you haven’t spoken with in a while. This is the perfect time to reconnect and spread joy.

Say thank you to our service men and women.
Show kindness to the US armed forces. Knit or crochet scarves and hats, make paracord bracelets, write handmade cards, and more. Our friends at Operation Gratitude have a lot of ideas, instructions and ways to get your act of kindness to someone who would appreciate it.
• Operation Gratitude

Share your gratitude with your child’s teacher.
Write a thank you note or take a short video of yourself from you and your child, and email it to their favorite teacher as an expression of gratitude for all their hard work during this time. Maybe have your child add some of their own words, pictures or video. A great family project.

Draw pictures for nursing homes.
Ask your kids to draw pictures that nursing homes can hang outside their windows, facing in. Scan or upload it to email and send it to volunteer@jewishpalmbeach.org, and we’ll ensure they’re shared with nursing homes to tape to residents’ windows and bring them some joy.

Be a part of our Community Cares Phone Tree.
Take part in our effort to check in on community members who may need our help. Email volunteer@jewishpalmbeach.org to let us know you’re interested. We’ll give you the names and numbers of people in our community who you can call every few weeks to make sure they’re safe and have what they need to get through this situation.

Make a toilet paper roll bird feeder.
There has been quite a craze over toilet paper, so what can you do with all the empty rolls!?!? Create a DIY bird feeder and hang it outside to invite nature into your view while caring for wildlife. Click here for instructions.

Be a virtual visitor.
Create a video message of kindness or an online card to people living in isolation, elder care facilities, such as MorseLife Health System, or someone in the hospital recovering from illness or surgery to put a smile on their face while visitors are limited. Send your video to volunteer@jewishpalmbeach.org (we recommend using the free service wetransfer.com for sending large files, such as videos). We will share it with someone in need, as well as on social media using the hashtag #BeaMensch.