Federation’s Jewish Volunteer Center Teaches Toddlers Importance of Giving Back
Matheus Costa, a student at Temple Torat Emet in Boynton Beach, shopped for and donated food through the Publix to Pantry program to the Caridad Center. The donations are part of a joint project of Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Jewish Volunteer Center, the Wiston Family Torah Tots, the Anne and Sam Klein Literacy Program
New Pilot Program Provided Children With Opportunities To Complete Community Service
Boca Raton, FL – Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Jewish Volunteer Center recently launched a new social action program, TOTS – Tikkun Olam Toddler Service –to teach philanthropy and the Jewish value of Tikkun Olam (“repair the world”) to toddlers and preschoolers. Through engaging and meaningful volunteer activities, the program was successfully implemented at Temple Torat Emet in Boynton Beach where children were encouraged to complete 10 volunteer hours during the school year.
Service projects led by the students, who range in age from 4 to 5 years old, included preparing and serving snacks in the Sukkah to temple employees and peers; entertaining senior residents from Allegro Senior Living through its Friends of Allegro program; shopping and donating food through the Publix to Pantry program to the Caridad Center; and a beach cleanup event in partnership with Sea Turtle Adventures.
“You are never too young to volunteer and make the world a better place,” shared Juliana Kohl Gendelman, chair of Jewish Volunteer Center. “Young children may not fully grasp the concept of volunteering, but introducing programs like TOTS establishes the importance of community service as a regular part of their lives and reaffirms Federation’s commitment to addressing the needs of our community.”
This unique service learning project was made possible by the Friedman Commission for Jewish Education, the Wiston Family Torah Tots and the Anne and Sam Klein Literacy Program.
For more information about Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County, upcoming volunteer opportunities and how to implement the TOTS program, visitjewishpalmbeach.org.
More about Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County
Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County works to transform, inspire and save lives in the Palm Beaches, Israel and 70 countries around the world.
