e Nigtilt Only
Together !
Leaders in the Klezmer Revival
Two 'Welcomer
Conce rts in One
Volunteer Sandy Weitz unpacks donated clothing at the resale shop.
Sorting It Out
uric
Original Avant-Garde and
Traditional Klezmer M
NCJW volunteer has been helping at
resale shop for 30 years.
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KLEZNMR
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Salarctery, /writ 2S, Spina
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Tickets at the door: $10 - $5 with student
The Coramsniunsit-y NrIs Detroit,
Center
4820-2
450 Reuther
Mall,
Wayne State University
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
KlezMoTown@gmail.com
248.432.5677 •
Sponsored by the Workmen's Circle Michigan o f Music
in partnership with Wayne State University
School
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Studies
Haddow Center for J
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1996710
22
April 2 • 2015
I
Stacy Gittleman
Contributing Writer
D
onate some clothes to the
National Council of Jewish
Women (NCJW) Council Resale
Shop in Berkley and you might be help-
ing a child recently placed in foster care
feel a sense of security with a new fleece
blanket. Restyling your living room? Those
donated paintings or candlesticks can help
pay for the delivery of kosher meals to
homebound senior citizens.
And there sorting it all out for the past
30 years is Huntington Woods resident
Sandy Weitz. Friends of the retired school
psychologist from the Berkley school
system know they can find her in one of
three places — at home, working out at
the Jewish Community Center in Oak
Park or at the resale store.
It all started decades ago when she
shopped at the resale store. She found her-
self waiting in a long line and asked the
cashier if she needed help bagging items
and checking customers out.
The rest is history. When she worked
full time, she volunteered on weekends
and vacations. Now, in her retirement, she
volunteers around 25 hours per week.
Volunteers organize merchandise and
set them out on the sales floor. Weitz also
is always on the lookout for donations and
will even collect things from neighbors
and friends to save them a trip.
"Sandy does not mind getting her
hands dirty or rolling up her sleeves to
help move and lift things around the
store said Kelly Sheldon, store operations
manager. In addition to helping custom-
ers match up the perfect blouse with a
skirt, Weitz can also be found vacuuming
at closing time.
"We miss her when she is away:'
Sheldon added.
Susan Gertner, NCJW/Greater Detroit
executive director, said help from volun-
teers such as Weitz is "invaluable" because
it keeps overhead costs down. Proceeds
from sales go to support many NCJW
community service projects in the Jewish
and general community:
• Wrapped in Love: Volunteers make
fleece blankets for foster children newly
removed from their homes by Child
Protective Services.
• Kosher Meals on Wheels: Volunteers
deliver kosher meals to area seniors.
• All Kids Playground: This is a univer-
sally accessible playground for children of
all abilities, including those with special
needs. NCJW sponsors free field trips to
the playground, located in Waterford, for
classes of special needs students.
• Safe Place: This project, in coopera-
tion with Jewish Family Service, provides
kosher temporary housing to women
and children needing refuge because of
domestic abuse.
Sales help the community and the envi-
ronment. The Environmental Protection
Agency's Office of Solid Waste reports
Americans discard more than 68 pounds
of clothing and textiles per person per
year, and these items represent about
4 percent of the municipal solid waste.
Donating clothing keeps a good percent-
age of these textiles out of landfills.
Over the years, Weitz has enjoyed
chatting with regular customers and has
even gotten to know their tastes. She feels
"blessed and honored" to work for an
organization so supportive of others.
She has seen brides come in and get a
great deal on a gown; so do teens looking
for prom dresses.
"When you work with such a great
group of dedicated people, it is really not
work," Weitz said. "I love coming here; the
days I don't come I miss it:'
But, she warns, make sure you hang
onto your own belongings at the store.
"Once, a woman came in looking for a
coat:' Weitz recalled. "She put her coat on
the floor and by the time she found one
she liked, someone picked up her coat and
bought it! We gave her the coat she picked
out at no charge, and she had a very good
sense of humor about it:'
❑
The Council Resale Shop is at 329712 Mile
Road, Berkley. www.councilsale.com