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Ali Randel with some of the 200 sets of pajamas she's collected to give to
foster children awaiting adoption

Cozy And Comfy

Teen works to provide PJs for
foster kids awaiting adoption.

I

Stacy Gittleman
Contributing Writer

0

n Oct. 18, All Randel of West
Bloomfield will read the cre-
ation story from the Torah
as she becomes a bat mitzvah at Adat
Shalom Synagogue in Farmington Hills.
Within Beresheit, her Torah portion, is
the mention of the first night and the
creation of the moon and stars.
Keeping with this nighttime theme,
Ali is making sure that local foster
children awaiting adoption will have
something cozy to sleep in as she aims
to collect 365 pairs of new pajamas by
her big day.
Through a letter-writing campaign
to family, friends, schools and her
congregation, Ali is well on her way
to accomplishing her goal; she has
collected more than 200 sets of paja-
mas. There is still time to donate to
her pajama project by dropping off
new items at Adat Shalom, 29901
Middlebelt Road, Farmington Hills, or
by calling (248) 626-2153. While all
children's sizes are appreciated, larger
children's sizes are especially needed.
The sleepwear will be donated to
a national organization called the
Pajama Program, a national nonprofit
organization with a local chapter in
West Bloomfield. It provides new paja-
mas to children in need and awaiting
adoption. These children live in vari-
ous situations including group homes,
shelters and temporary housing facili-
ties and are often shuffled from one
place to another.
According to the organization's web-
site, many of these foster children have
been abandoned, abused or neglected.
Most have never enjoyed the simple
comfort of having a mother or father
tucking them in at bedtime with
warm, clean pajamas. Some of the

children Pajama Program serves are
living with their families below pov-
erty level in desperate need of food,
clothes and shelter.
"I love PJs because they are comfort-
able to wear any time of the day:' Ali
said. "I am collecting them because
when children slip into something
warm and comfortable before they go
to sleep, it is a way to show that some-
one cares about them:'
In addition to collecting pajamas,
this year, Ali participated in PeerCorps
Detroit. It is a yearlong mentorship
program pairing teens and b'nai
mitzvah students seeking meaningful
ways to give back to the city. Through
her involvement in PeerCorps over
the past year, Ali enjoyed doing com-
munity service projects with the Isaac
Agree Downtown Synagogue in Detroit
and helping out at last year's "Menorah
in the D" last night of Chanukah cel-
ebration. She was in good company
with fellow participants and twin
cousins Isabel and Jack Randel, 13, of
Farmington Hills, who will celebrate
their b'nai mitzvah at Adat Shalom on
Oct. 25.
Ali said that PeerCorps is teaching
her the importance of giving back to
the Jewish community, especially to
those who are lonely or going through
hard times.
"Through PeerCorps, I learned that
there are many people in our Jewish
community who don't have close fam-
ily or friends:' Ali said. "By volunteer-
ing, I enjoyed helping these people cel-
ebrate and feel a connection to being
Jewish"

❑

If you know of an unsung hero in the
community you'd like to nominate
as a Mentsh of the Month, please
contact Stacy Gittleman at Stacy.
gittleman@yahoo.com.

cgetoset,
234

2014

Building the City at the Maltz Museum
The Impact of the Garment Industry on
Northeast Ohio at Fleming's Steakhouse
The Art of Fashion & Martinis at Fringe Boutique

2414

Harold Arlen: Lucky Man-A Musical Lecture
at the Beachwood Library
Flavors of Sicily at Giovanni's
Microsoft Bytes at the Microsoft Store
The Art of Tequila at Tres Potrillos

4p,oidoU

Coy a hoga
Community
College

dp

Beer Master's Dinner at Granite City

2sa

261

Learn How to Power your Body's Engine
for Life at Athleta
Food & Culinary Reactions 101 at Tri-C
The World of Dance & Food at Tri-C
Beachwood Historical Society:
Tales at the Beachwood Library
Xbox Party at the Microsoft Store
Amarone & Ripasso Wine Tasting
at Valenti's Ristorante
Rivertown Beer Tasting at Winks Bar & Grille

rANae.

bout*

Microsoft

Beachwood 5K Run: Celebrating Healthcare
with the Cleveland Clinic
Feel the Breeze at Bahama Breeze
Music of the Big Bands at the Beachwood Library

More Details at VisitBeachwoodOhio.com

Beachwood Convention Et Visitors Bureau 216.378.9333

1944080

September 18 • 2014

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