12 | JUNE 8 • 2023 I n partnership with NEXTGen Detroit Volunteers, Repair the World Detroit, Reboot and Moishe House Royal Oak, I recently spent a very meaningful Sunday morning Packing Lunches with Love at Jewish Senior Life. Along with my peers, I worked with seniors to make over 100 sand- wiches for the Detroit Community Fridge, an organization that keeps refrigerators around Detroit stocked with meals for those in need. When I heard about Detroit Community Fridge, I could not wait to write about its mis- sion in my upcoming column. Now here we are! Detroit Community Fridge is a com- munity aid project that came into exis- tence during the COVID-19 pandemic. Five public fridges across Detroit are open and accessible 24/7 for anyone who may want something to eat. The fridges are fully stocked by volunteers who fill them with homemade meals, snacks and special treats. The rules are straightforward and simple: 1) Take what you need. 2) Leave what you don’t need. 3) Label anything you add to the fridge with the date it was prepared, the name of the dish and its ingredients — especially known allergens. 4) If you see that something is expired or spoiled, please dispose of accordingly. To find a fridge and participate, visit https:// detfridge.com. The mission of Alternatives for Girls is to help homeless and high-risk girls and young women avoid violence, teen pregnancy and exploitation, and help them to explore and access the support, resources and opportunities necessary to be safe, to grow strong and to make positive choices in their lives. The orga- nization offers a large variety of volun- teer opportunities including the cloth- ing closet crew, rehousing moving crew, community outreach and tutoring. A mentorship program is also available that pairs a volunteer with a participant to focus on building confidence, explor- ing new things about themselves and achieving academic success. For more information, contact Christina Ramsey at cramsey@alternativesforgirls.org. Wayne County CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) recruits, screens, trains and supervises volunteer advocates to speak up for children who have experienced abuse and neglect. The volunteers are appointed by jurists in the Wayne County Third Circuit Court. These specially trained volun- teers strive to become a positive, stable influence for Wayne County children, while ensuring they have a voice in and out of court. Children within this pro- gram are more likely to find a safe and permanent home, succeed in school and are half as likely to re-enter the foster care system. Potential volunteers must be at least 21 and must display a level of maturity that enables posi- tive, objective, active involvement with neglected children, families in crisis and professionals in the system. Apply to be a volunteer at https://waynecoun- tycasa.org/volunteer-application/. Join the Downtown Synagogue on summer Sundays from 4-6 p.m. at Eden Gardens on Detroit’s east side. Volunteers of all ages will participate in various community gardening tasks, including cleaning out garden beds, prepping the garden, planting and har- vesting. No sign up necessary — show up at aforementioned dates and time at 12273 Glenfield Ave., Detroit to help. Jewish Senior Life is looking for teen volunteers to help with a variety of intergenerational opportunities. Teens can volunteer on their own or with a group in the dining room, during teatime on weekdays or Sunday activ- ities. To learn more, reach out to Beth Robinson at brobinson@jslmi.org or fill out the volunteer form at https://jslmi. org/volunteer. If your organization is looking for volunteers, email Samantha Foon at samanthafoon14@gmail.com for possible inclusion in an upcoming column. OUR COMMUNITY Lauren Soifer of NextGEN Detroit, Samantha Foon of Bloomfield Hills and Carly Sanfield of Birmingham at Packing Lunches with Love. Fun ways to get involved by helping others this month. Volunteers Wanted! SAMANTHA FOON CONTRIBUTING WRITER