By , Special to JTNews
Jewish Family Service will once again conduct its popular Hanukkah Tzedakah drive. Through the generosity of the community, many people who would not experience the joy of Hanukkah are remembered with gifts and greetings.
It’s a simple matching program. Carol Mullin, JFS director of Emergency Services, queries clients, including residents of the two JFS group homes, to discover their needs and dreams. From a list of people who step forward to provide the gifts, matches are made. “Many of our clients,” says Carol Mullin, “don’t have family to celebrate with or anybody besides JFS to give them a gift. They are always so pleased to be remembered.”
Classes take it on as a mitzvah project, as do a number of havurots and synagogues. In addition, there are area businesses, Jewish and non-Jewish that honor their Jewish employees through the Hanukah campaign — an acknowledgement that benefits people in need.
For some, the requests are for basic needs — warm slippers and robes or children’s sweaters; for others, it may be a book of poetry or new treats and toys for a pet. This year, according to Mullin, there are more families with needs and 50 percent of the families have children over the age of 10. “This is a challenge,” she continues, “because when you think of the holidays you think of giving toys and clothes to very young children. We want to make sure the older children have what they want, too.”
Most of the matches are made by the time Thanksgiving occurs, but there is still a way to join in afterward with a cash contribution that will allow JFS to provide some extras and to take care of people who may be new to the program.
With economic woes affecting our local region, we expect more requests than in previous years. “This is a wonderful community,” concludes Carol Mullin, “they always manage to come through for us.”
To help, call Carol Mullin at JFS at 206-461-3240.