34 | APRIL 6 • 2023 

S

pring has sprung and it is time to 
get out there and help our won-
derful community. This month, we 
highlight an awesome opportunity for teens, 
as well as a chance to relive one of the best 
nights of the high school experience. It is 
also time to start thinking about Mother’s 
Day — keep reading for a great way to 
celebrate your loved ones while supporting 
the women and children served by Jewish 
Family Service.
ORT America Michigan Region is seek-
ing high school volunteers to join the ORT 
Teen Board. The board provides opportu-
nities for leadership training in addition to 
building community service and National 
Honor Society hours. Over the course of 
the year, the board members will learn to 
plan and produce a successful fundraiser, 
including how to raise funds through cor-
porate sponsors, promote an organization’s 
mission, set goals, and recruit volunteers 
and attendees. To learn more, contact Nicole 
at nmiller@ortamerica.org. 
This Mother’s Day, send a beautiful card 
with a personal message and make a differ-
ence in our community through The Joy 
Project. By honoring the special women 
in your life, you are helping thousands of 

women and children in our 
community receive critical 
services from Jewish Family 
Service. These services include counseling, 
homecare to allow them to remain indepen-
dent, emergency financial assistance, case 
management services, transportation, help 
with domestic abuse situations and more. 
To guarantee Mother’s Day delivery, send 
your cards by April 24 on www.jfsjoyproj-
ect.org. Each card is $18 and tax deductible. 
Oakland Literacy Council is looking 
for tutors to work one on one with adult 
learners. Pairs meet in public locations such 
as a library or virtually for two hours each 
week at a time determined by the tutor. In 
a typical program year, the organization 
provides over 18,000 hours of instruction to 
200 adult learners in reading, math, English 
as a Second Language and digital literacy 
skills. Volunteers must be compassionate, 
patient and pass a background check. No 
prior tutoring experience is necessary as all 
volunteers will be trained and supported 
by a tutor coordinator and provided a full 
curriculum to follow. To become a volun-
teer tutor and make a difference in an adult 
learner’s life, visit www.oaklandliteracy.com/
become-a-tutor. 

Bookstock is back at Laurel Park Place 
from April 23-30 and looking for volunteers 
to help sort and sell. As Michigan’s largest 
used book sale, Bookstock offers more than 
200,000 donated, gently used books and 
media items for sale at bargain basement 
prices. The revenue from each year’s sale 
and donations go toward the Bookstock 
Fund, which is focused on enhancing liter-
acy in Detroit and throughout Michigan. 
Volunteers can sign up for one or more 
shifts and earn credit for one of many 
aligned organizations. For more informa-
tion, contact volunteer coordinator Ruth 
Beitner, at ruthnormanbeitner@gmail.com. 
On May 13, Life Remodeled is offering 
the community an opportunity to re-do a 
pinnacle high school memory, but this time 
with an even greater purpose through Prom 
Remodeled. The event will bring together 
the who’s who of Detroit’s philanthropy 
community and influencers of Detroit 
neighborhoods for an incredible evening 
benefiting Life Remodeled and neigh-
borhood revitalization work — especially 
their work at the former Durfee Middle 
School which has been repurposed into the 
Durfee Innovation Society, an opportunity 
hub serving more than 25,000 Detroiters 
annually. Volunteers will be needed for 
various shifts between noon and 1 a.m. 
the night of the event to assist with set up/
tear down, food/bar service, welcoming 
guests/registration and a variety of other 
roles critical to the event experience. If you 
are at least 21 years old and would like to 
volunteer, contact Audrey at Audrey@
LifeRemodeled.org. 

 

If your organization is looking for volunteers, please 

email Samantha Foon at samanthafoon14@gmail.com 

for possible inclusion in an upcoming column.

OUR COMMUNITY

Opportunities to celebrate spring 
by doing a mitzvah.

Calling All 
 Volunteers

SAMANTHA FOON CONTRIBUTING WRITER

