26 | JUNE 9 • 2022
E
liana Weiss, 13, of
Huntington Woods
and Drew Edelstein,
13, of West Bloomfield have
both been nominated as
volunteers of the week for
their passion for dogs. The
two are unrelated but are
both making a difference in
their communities through
local programs.
Weiss attends Norup
International School in Oak
Park and recently had her bat
mitzvah at Temple Israel on
May 28.
“I’ve been doing volunteer
work for Detroit Dog Rescue
(DDR) for the past three or
four years,” Weiss said.
“When I heard they were
opening up a new shelter, I
actually volunteered to work
there during the summer.”
In 2018, the organization
was gifted the Westcott
Veterinary Hospital where
it will have more space to
expand its no-kill operations.
Weiss took it upon herself
to set up multiple donation
drives and collect gently used
items for dogs.
“Through my donation
drives, I have raised $2,800
in monetary donations and
about $3,300 in items,” she
says.
Because of her efforts, the
organization put her name
on their wall of ambassadors.
She says it feels good to be
recognized, but she does
it because of her passion
for dogs and inspiration
from Kristina Rinaldi, DDR
executive director.
Weiss’ mother, Amy,
says she’s proud to see
her daughter take on the
initiative and
create her own
fundraising
events.
Weiss plans
to continue
working with the
organization this
the summer and says she will
do whatever she can to help.
DOG THERAPY
Edelstein, who also has a
big heart for dogs, decided
to use his mitzvah project
to help his school district’s
dog therapy program. The
seventh grader at Clifford
H. Smart Middle School in
Commerce says when he
learned about the program,
he wanted to figure out how
he could raise funds for it.
“My goal was to raise
$1,000 for the program. So, I
decided to walk and dog-sit
for a couple of dogs in my
neighborhood,” he said.
Edelstein ended up walking
10 dogs and dog-sat two
more and exceeded his goal
by raising $1,600.
“I am surprised about
how much money I raised,”
he said. “Especially because
most of it came from dog
walking. Some people didn’t
even need me to walk their
dog, they just wanted to
donate to the cause.”
“It was such a cool exper-
ience, and I love seeing how
dogs can bring joy to people.”
Four-Legged Mitzvot
Meet Eliana Weiss and Drew Edelstein who
make an impact with their love for dogs.
RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR
OUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERS OF THE WEEK
LEFT: Eliana Weiss’ donation
drive for DDR in 2021.
BELOW: Harley the dog gives
a paw-five to Drew Edelstein.