S

purred by the over-
whelming attendance 
at two recent Hatzalah-
organized blood drives, a 
third, held on May 31, drew 
nearly double the number of 
individuals than the first two 
combined.
All three were aimed at 
helping those suffering from 
COVID-19 and hopefully pre-
venting the virus from affect-
ing others.
The first two drives tested 

only those who recovered 
from the illness, had been 
exposed or had symptoms, 
with the hope of identifying 
individuals with antibodies 
that could potentially help 
others. Nearly half of the 400 
blood donors were found to 
have levels of antibodies need-
ed to donate plasma for sci-
entific trials and treatment of 
those who have the virus.
At the most recent drive, 
the 350 donors who came 

out included some with the 
same COVID history but also 
individuals with no diagnosis, 
symptoms or exposure. Blood 
was taken as part of a vaccine 
development/virus progression 
study, created for the develop-
ment and study of COVID-19 
vaccines and to enable further 
research toward more effective 
treatment. The samples will be 
used in the study of vaccine 
development, as well as how 
COVID-19 infects and spreads 
across a region or community.
The first two drives were 
organized by the Oak Park-
based Hatzalah of Michigan-
Emergency Medical Services. 
At the May 31 drive, they col-
laborated with the Southfield 
Fire Department.
Captain Melissa Medici, the 
fire department’
s EMS coor-
dinator, who volunteered as 
a phlebotomist at a previous 
drive, contacted Hatzalah 
about working together, said 
Nachy Soloff of Southfield, a 

Hatzalah volunteer and blood 
drive organizer. “She opened it 
up to a wider platform.” 
Members of Hatzalah and 
the fire department drew 
blood in tented areas outside 
the Southfield Public Library 
from donors who waited in 
their cars until called.
“Other communities also 
held this type of drive, but 
we are the only ones in the 
national (Hatzalah) move-
ment to bring in these types 
of numbers,” Soloff said. “Our 
relationship with the city fire 
department is a reflection of 
this.
“In addition to new donors, 
those tested for antibodies at 
previous drives were eligible 
to donate again at this most 
recent one. We had people 
who were so super-motivat-
ed to help others that they 
donated before, and when they 
heard about this drive, they 
came back again.” 

Jews in the D

SHELLI LIEBMAN DORFMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A member of the 
Southfield Police 
Dept., with Southfield 
Fire Dept. Chief 
Johnny Menifee at 
the blood drive.

NACHY SOLOFF

J

ewish sustainability organi-
zation Hazon is partnering 
with environmental edu-
cation nonprofit Big Green to 
create new “giving gardens” in 
several Metro Detroit communi-
ties this summer. 
Work on the gardens officially 
began in late June. The garden 
beds, which already exist as 

“learning gardens” at public 
schools, will be planted by Big 
Green staff in cities including 
Ferndale, Oak Park, Hazel Park 
and Southfield. Hazon has vol-
unteered to provide the seeds 
and compost to grow carrots, 
beans and squash. 
When the vegetables are ready 
to be harvested starting around 

mid-August, students and fami-
lies from the community will be 
invited to pick their own veggies. 
Hazon will then help distribute 
the remaining vegetables by 
parking their Topsy Turvy Bus in 
the community so families can 
come collect the free produce. 
Whatever is left after Hazon’
s 
distribution will be donated to 
local food pantries. 
Big Green will also work with 
online farmer’
s market Michigan 
Fields to help distribute produce 
in the community, said Ken 
Elkins, regional director of Big 
Green Detroit. 
Big Green, co-founded in 
2011 by Elon Musk’
s brother 
Kimball Musk, builds and runs 
educational learning gardens in 
public schools. When COVID-
19 hit Michigan this spring, the 
organization moved their learn-
ing garden curriculum online for 
students to access at home, but 
their gardens sat empty when 
schools closed in March. The 
organization wanted to find a 

way to put them to use. 
“We wanted to do our part as 
far as assisting and helping our 
communities,
” Elkins said. 
Similarly, Hazon shifted its 
focus toward helping commu-
nity members plant and grow 
their own produce with their 
Relief Garden Initiative when the 
pandemic began. The program 
ended on June 5. 
Wren Hack, director of Hazon 
Detroit, said her organization 
already had seeds to give away 
from their relief garden initiative, 
and their bus made for a conve-
nient distribution center. 
“It was an easy partnership to 
form,
” Hack said. “It’
s so hearten-
ing to know that [Big Green] can 
activate those gardens and just 
help people with their meals.
”
Twenty of Big Green Detroit’
s 
52 school gardens will be repur-
posed as giving gardens, Elkins 
said. He hopes the other 32 
gardens will be able to continue 
with normal learning garden 
programming this fall. 

18 | JULY 2 • 2020 

‘Super Motivated’ 
Local Donors
Hundreds participate in COVID-19 vaccine 
development and virus progression study.

Educational
Gardens

Big Green, Hazon partner to grow
produce at Metro Detroit schools.

MAYA GOLDMAN CONTRIBUTING WRITER

COURTESY OF SARI CICUREL

Hazon’
s Topsy 
Turvy Bus

