JFS Fall Fix Up

Hundreds of volunteers

gather to help older adults

prepare for winter.

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n Sunday, Nov. 13, nearly 400
energized volunteers showed
up at the Oak Park Jewish
Community Center to participate in
Jewish Family Service's 15th Annual Fall
Fix Up.
Upon arrival, volunteers consist-
ing of individuals, families and groups
from Congregation Shaarey Zedek,
Federation's Young Adult Division, Hillel
of Metropolitan Detroit, Frankel Jewish
Academy, Fisher AZA, Birmingham
Temple, Jewish Parents Institute, North
Farmington High School, Home Depot
and Boy Scout Troop 364 gathered their
supplies, met their teams and headed out
to the homes.
They raked leaves, installed window
winterization kits and cleaned win-
dows for 47 older adult Jewish Family
Service clients and five JARC homes.
One volunteer team also worked on the
Jewish Senior Life and Temple Emanu-El
Victory Garden.
"Each year, Shaarey Zedek's Religious
School devotes a day to giving back to
the community to put into action the val-
ues we teach our children:' said Megan
Topper, assistant director of youth and
family education. "For the second year,
as a part of Jewish Family Education's
Project Tikkun Olam, we partnered with
JFS' Fall Fix Up to assist homebound
adults and the elderly with their fall
cleanup projects.
"From raking endless leaves to wash-
ing windows, everyone got their hands
dirty and contributed to making some-
one's day a whole lot better. At Shaarey
Zedek, the family education experience
extends beyond learning about being
Jewish to 'doing Jewish."'
This year, Home Depot was the event's
presenting sponsor. Home Depot also
provided a team of volunteers repre-
senting employees from the Commerce
Township store and various other
stores in the area. Other event sponsors
included the Oak Park JCC, Sam's Club
and Meijer.
Fall Fix Up committee members
included Sara Voight, chair, Jack Cherney,
Dr. Steven Dunn, Micki Grossman and
Sharon Havis.
For more about JFS volunteer oppor-
tunities, go online to www.jfsdetroit.org/
volunteers or call Lindsay Leder at (248)
592-2309. Li

The Zerkel, Moss and Feldberg families from Shaarey Zedek. Leigh Moss says Fall Fix Up is one of the most important programs

her family participates in all year because it connects the mitzvah of tikkun olam with helping Jewish people in the community.

Mark Nakisher of Huntington Woods

Marci, Joel and Adam Ben-Moche of Shaarey Zedek were on their 13th bag of leaves.

Paul and Jennifer Silverman of Franklin with their children, Nathan, 8, Levi, 3, and
Eliana, 10

Volunteers from Home Depot are ready

to install window winterization.

.tic

Todd Franklin of Huntington Woods with

Shaarey Zedek kids Ryan Giles, 5, Charlie Hermann, 7, of West Bloomfield

his daughter Lily, 11

and Seth Giles, 7, of Novi have fun in the leaves.

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