Metro

Shirley Cetner of West Bloomfield and Cari

Rothenberg of Pleasant Ridge visit with Meals on

Susan Kessler and Jonathan, 14, Sarah, 13, and

Micki Grossman of Farmington Hills, Stan Wolfe

Bruce Shaw, all of Huntington Woods

of Bloomfield Hills and and Carol Freedman of

Farmington Hills

Wheels recipient Zola Thompkins of Detroit.

What A Mitzvah!

Jewish community lends multiple hands so others can enjoy Christmas.

Robin Schwartz
Special to the Jewish News

T

here were smiley faces everywhere — on the
T-shirts worn by hundreds of Mitzvah Day
volunteers, on their faces and on the faces of
countless recipients of visits, meal deliveries and other
services on Christmas Day. More than 800 members of
Metro Detroit's Jewish community worked side by side
with churches, nursing homes, soup kitchens, homeless
shelters and other organizations, performing acts of
kindness and giving Christian volunteers the day off on
Dec. 25 to celebrate with their families.
"It's just a great feeling to go to deliver a meal or check
in on a person, maybe an elderly person who's been liv-
ing alone," said Todd Mendel of Birmingham, president-
elect of the Jewish Community Council.
The organization co-sponsored Mitzvah Day this year

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December 28 2006

"The attitude is great and people are eager to
help:' said Mitzvah Day co-chair Micki Grossman of
Farmington Hills as volunteers filled the Max M. Fisher
Federation building in Bloomfield Township as early
as 7:30 a.m. to get their assignments. "It's just the most
exciting thing that people want to do this."
The annual event is the largest single volunteer effort
of the local Jewish community. In previous years, people
have braved snow and ice to get to their destinations; but
this year the weather cooperated. Those who celebrate
Christmas say the extra help was greatly appreciated.
"This is a day when people usually like to be with their
families," saidMeals on Wheels coordinator William
Spencer of Detroit. "The Jewish community made it much
easier for us to meet our commitment for volunteers on a
day when it would have been difficult otherwise."

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For related story: page 16

s

Courtney, 10, Taylor, 13, and Dylan Kamen, 16, of

West Bloomfield prepare to deliver meals.

along with the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit
and corporate partner, Ford Motor Company Fund.
Volunteers of all ages dispersed across several communi-
ties to help out at 40 different social services agencies.
First-time Mitzvah Day volunteer Susan Kessler of
Huntington Woods was among a group who distrib-
uted Meals on Wheels through the El Bethel Church in
Redford. She and her family members, Jonathan, 14,
Sarah, 13, and Bruce Shaw, picked up maps and got their
routes, loaded up their car with boxes of pre-packaged
hot and cold meals, then set out to hand deliver them to
Detroit seniors.
"We wanted to do something to give back:' Kessler said.
Another group delivered meals to the Plymouth
Square apartments in Detroit, where 88-year-old Janie
Mims came to her door in her nightgown, thrilled to
receive her packages.
"Thank you and God bless you:' Mims said.

Susie and David Kamen of West Bloomfield

Crystal Rolle of Southfield reviews a Meals On

Wheels route with Diana Katz of West Bloomfield.