46 | JULY 14 • 2022
TOP LEFT: The Detroit
Community Fridge. “The
one I’ve been working
with can be found at
10061 Gratiot Ave. in
Detroit,” she says.
TOP RIGHT: “The warm
clothing and bedding
my sister and I raised for
a reservation in South
Dakota. Food and fire-
wood are their biggest
needs!” Ottersen said.
BOTTOM LEFT: One of
Ottersen’s little libraries.
BOTTOM RIGHT:
The sandwiches
Ottersen made for NSO
(Neighborhood Service
Organization), which uses
the line, “It doesn’t take a
big commitment to make
a BIG impact.”
“Every year, we get between $30,000
and $50,000. Over the years, I think I’ve
personally raised a little over $8,000,” she
said.
Aside from working a full time job as
an insurance agent, Ottersen says the
inspiration of giving back comes from the
of the ideologies of Judaism to repair the
world.
“I think it’s important that we look
beyond ourselves,” she said. “While it’s
important to take care of ourselves and
our families, it’s also important to take
care of the strangers that are in our com-
munity, that are kind of the unknown
family. They’re part of us, and we all
depend on each other even if we don’t
necessarily see or feel it in the day to day.”
When Ottersen moved to Detroit over
four years ago, she saw a need she could
fill with Little Free Libraries, a nonprof-
it that promotes neighborhood book
exchanges.
“I was working as a substitute teacher at
the time and was chatting with my library
and the teachers who I was working with.
They gave me thousands of books to help
stock up the little free libraries throughout
my neighborhood. I have continued to
keep them stocked every month to keep it
running for the kids,” Ottersen said.
Since the pandemic hit, Ottersen says
she’s shifted her attention and changed the
little free libraries into pantries because
she was worried about the food scarcity
and that’s when she learned about the
Detroit Community Fridge.
“I started making sandwiches for them
and they asked me to make 60 sandwich-
es and bring them over for lunch. And
I try to load up every time I go grocery
shopping for myself and get a couple extra
cereals or whatever I can afford that week
to give to the Detroit Community Fridge.”
Ottersen feels it’s important to set aside
time, money or items like books or food
whatever you can give to help fill the
needs of the community.
“You can commit an entire year, or
every weekend a year, or just a few hours
one time in one year; but the end result
is that the world is better off because of
what you did. Your light and love and
positivity lasts much longer than those
hours, those weekends, that year.”
If you would like to nominate someone to be
the next volunteer of the week, send a nomination
with a short paragraph telling us why to
socialmedia@thejewishnews.com.
OUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEER OF THE WEEK
continued from page 44
WABEEK CLUB | 4000 CLUBGATE DRIVE | BLOOMFIELD HILLS, MI 48302
WABEEKCC.COM | FACEBOOK: @WABEEKCLUB | INSTAGRAM: @WABEEKCLUB