26 | SEPTEMBER 1 • 2022 

Y

ad Ezra nominated the mother- 
daughter duo Amy and Lilah 
Greenspan of Oak Park as 
Volunteers of the Week for their efforts 
at its Giving Gardens.
“Amy and Lilah have been 
dedicated, hardworking volunteers 
in the garden for years,” said Josh 
Gordon, Yad Ezra’s Giving Gardens 
manager. 
“It is a huge pleasure having their 
smiling faces and kind spirits join 
consistently into the volunteer shifts. 
They always brighten up the spirit 
of everyone in the garden, and you 
cannot help but see their passion for 
the garden and everything it entails 
shining when they are around.”
The two have been volunteering 
with the charity’s garden since the 
summer of 2020.
“Volunteering has always been 

really important to me,” Amy explained. 
Amy says her inspiration to volunteer 
comes from her parents, Mike and 
Sandi Malowitz, who were recognized as 
Volunteers of the Week back in May.

“Volunteering is something that has 
always been a part of my life, and I’m 
pleased to be able to pass it on to my 
daughter.” 
Amy says being able to teach her 
8-year-old daughter Lilah about the 
importance of giving back, food 
security and gardening is special.
“We’ve learned a lot about 
food and giving to those who are 
hungry,” Amy added. 
The mother-daughter duo spends 
time weeding and planting in the 
garden. “We planted peas, and it 
was fun,” Lilah said. 
Amy says the pair plan to 
continue to volunteer with Yad Ezra 
as Lilah gets older. 

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 rsweet@thejewishnews.com.

Meet the dedicated mother-daughter duo who actively 
volunteer at Yad Ezra’s Giving Gardens. 

Planting the Seed 
of Volunteerism 

RACHEL SWEET ASSOCIATE EDITOR 

OUR COMMUNITY
VOLUNTEERS OF THE WEEK:

Lilah and Amy 
Greenspan weeding 
at Yad Ezra’s 
Genesis Garden

