Mitzvah Project Ideas

Description of Organization:
The mission of the MSKCC Blood Donor Recruitment Program is to support the blood and platelet transfusion needs of adult and pediatric patients at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC) by encouraging and motivating the greatest possible number of individuals to donate at MSKCC, educating them to the critical role of transfusions in the treatment of cancer, and encouraging repeat donations and providing donors with excellence in care and service.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
As a project, children can help organize efforts to let family, friends & others from the community know the importance of donating blood or platelets on behalf of the children & adult patients being treated for cancer at Memorial Hospital in Manhattan.

Description of Organization:

Mercaz Cochav is a non profit organization based in Ma'alot, Israel, which provides: social, educational, vocational and housing services to people with special needs from the Western and Northern Galilee.  The principal goal of the organization is to operate and provide services and supportive frameworks for people with special needs (mental,physical and psychological) so they will be able to enjoy a high level of comfort and to function in the community in which they live.  In the morning the center functions as a therapeutic and vocational base for adults with mild to severe mental retardation and in the afternoon provides social and therapeutic activities for school aged children with mild mental retardation, activities include drumming, Israeli dancing, hydrotherapy and drama.  Our organization is supported by the Ministry of Welfare.  However, in order to provide the services at the level that we believe our members deserve, we need to turn to external organizations for financial aid.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:

Bnai Mitzvah ideas:
1. We run a sheltered employment factory which produces natural paper. This paper can be used to print invitations on. We also can help design and print invitations.  You get a beautiful invitation and we provide meaningful work for our members.

2. Children on a visit to Israel are welcome to join our workshop and even make their own paper which can then be used to make there invitations.

3. We have another sheltered factory which produce ceramic goods and children and their families are always welcome to come lend a hand.

4. A joint outing or hike together with our children the same age can be a very rewarding experience.

5. Financial help is always welcome as well.  For more information please be in touch thanking you Ivan Resnick.

Description of Organization:
Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty serves more than 100,000 clients every year in all five boroughs of New York. Met Council provides crisis intervention, counseling, kosher food distribution, career services, housing, furniture, clothing, home care, family violence prevention, and home repair services to those in need. Met council provides many chessed opportunities within all of their departments throughout all five boroughs.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Some opportunities include friendly visits/phone calls to frail seniors, food packaging and distribution, clothing sorting, and friendly greeting cards to sick and elderly.

Description of Organization:
The Minneapolis Jewish Federation, an affiliate of the United Jewish Communities(UJC) of America, strives to build community, care for the welfare of Jews everywhere, and maximize participation in Jewish life.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
The GMF is an individual endowment fund program in which Genesis Mitzvah Funds are established in honor of a young person’s Bar or Bat Mitzvah. Family members and guests are invited to make direct contributions to the Fund which, at a certain level, begins to accrue interest. The Bar/Bat Mitzvah student distributes the earned interest to charities of his or her choice for twelve more years. The students then participate in special events in the community focusing on philanthropy.

Description of Organization:

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:

Description of Organization:
The Mitzvah Messenger Project of White Plains for Israel collects items in the Westchester community and seeks Mitzvah Messengers, couriers, to carry them to Jerusalem to be given to people-in-need. They see these projects as a way to instill Jewish identity, to build community here, foster connections with Israel, and help fellow Jews. They have many ideas for collections and are also always looking for Mitzvah Messengers to carry.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
The Mitzvah Messenger Project of White Plains for Israel will assist children in collecting items in need in Jerusalem.

Description of Organization:
Moving Traditions finds, creates, and delivers information on practicing Judaism at key lifecycle moments through traditional and innovative channels. Moving Traditions resources include programs, publications, and on-line materials. The organizations efforts are informed by a consideration of gender, reflecting the changes and opportunities for women and men in recent generations; a respect for the diversity of Jewish people and practices; and the desire to make Judaism a transformative force for healthy individual, family, and community relations. Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing! - a program of Moving Traditions - is a fun, contemporary monthly celebration of the ancient New Moon (Rosh Hodesh) holiday for girls in grades 6-12 that builds self-esteem, Jewish identity, and leadership skills. This informal Jewish education program proactively empowers pre-teen and teenage girls to negotiate popular culture's risky and dangerous messages.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Girls can help start and participate in Rosh Hodesh: It's a Girl Thing! - a program of Moving Traditions. This fun, contemporary monthly celebration of the ancient New Moon (Rosh Hodesh) holiday for girls in grades 6-12 that builds self-esteem, Jewish identity, and leadership skills. This informal Jewish education program proactively empowers pre-teen and teenage girls to best negotiate popular culture's risky and dangerous messages.

Description of Organization:
Multiple sclerosis strikes in the prime of life, usually between the ages of 15 and 60, and is the most commonly diagnosed neurological disease in young adults. The MS Center at Holy Name Hospital is the only state-licensed, non-profit facility providing healthcare and related services exclusively for MS patients and their families. The Center provides care to all MS patients, regardless of ability to pay, and is financed entirely through patient revenues, grants, contributions, and special events. Support of the MS Center at Holy Name Hospital goes directly towards the care of all those affected by MS.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
There are many different ways to support the MS Center! You can do your own fundraiser, like a bowl-a-thon or work with us on one of our upcomng events like our Rollover MS or Hoops 4 Hope in MS Care!

Description of Organization:
The Multiple Sclerosis Association of America seeks volunteers to help on a range of assignments that support our mission to enrich the quality of life for everyone affected by multiple sclerosis.

To learn more about MS, visit www.msassociation.org

To learn more about volunteer opportunities check out all the volunteer pages.

It is important to MSAA that you find an assignment that is meaningful to you.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
A list of our assignments can be found at

http://support.msassociation.org/teen-assignments and
http://support.msassociation.org/volunteer

Description of Organization:
Mummies and Masterpieces is a company that creates exciting educational programs based on museum masterpieces. We offer many programs for toddlers through adults.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
We will work with your friends and family to create beautiful friendship murals for children in Israeli hospitals and/or shelters. These murals will hopefully brighten the children's physical environment and emotional mood.

Description of Organization:
Music For All Seasons (MFAS) takes professional musicians into places where people don't have access to live, quality musical performances. These include: Nursing Homes, Children's Hospitals, Shelters for Victims of Domestic Violence, School for Special-Needs Children, Hospices, Juvenile Detention Centers, Homeless Shelters, Halfway Houses for Foster Children and many others. By providing these programs, MFAS helps aid the healing process: physical, mental and spiritual. Also by solidifying the commitment of young, professional artists to serving special audiences, and creating regular volunteer opportunities to serve local communities, MFAS fosters stronger, more interconnected communities. They are active in five states: NY, NJ, CT, PA and CA. They provide over 200 professional performances per season to confined audiences of over 11,500 people. MFAS is a registered 501(c)(3) organization and they are currently celebrating their 17th season.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
Students can "adopt" a particular facility, or work with MFAS to add a facility of their choosing (within our guidelines) to their roster. MFAS has been funded by the National Endowment on the Arts for 3 years now for their work with children in Shelters of Victims of Domestic Violence. This is a very highly regarded series. They have many other types of facilities students may choose: A Nursing Home, a Homeless Shelter, A Children's Hospital and more. Once a student "adopts" a facility, they can choose the level of participation they are interested in.
They may choose to simply sponsor a program or a series of programs, in their name or anonymously. They may choose to act as a Docent, actually attending the program or series of programs they have sponsored through fund-raising efforts. These programs are always safe, well-attended and deeply moving experiences. The people who attend our programs are always very thankful for the music we provide, and the musicians often say the work they do for MFAS is the "most important" work they do. Whether the student's interest is in music, social services, aging, youth at risk, social action or Tikkun Olam, Music For All Seasons is a worthy organization.

Description of Organization:
An ALL-VOLUNTEER national not-for-profit group since 1989, we raise funds to give directly to elderly groups and very needy individuals in Israel and Eastern Europe to enable them to earn money and dignity in their own country. (We have no staff or office expenses.) Ask for our Newsletter updates!

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:
In addition to contributions in honor of families and friends (or a school fund-raising project) we have collected items for mailing to our elderly in Ukraine & Belarus, such as warm nightgowns, winter sweaters, yarn, socks and sheets.
See our website myriamsdream.org for craft projects to make and sell. And, ask for a poster.

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