Starting 2015 Off With Some Social Action!

From the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:


A Report from Annette DeMarco
Social Action Committee Chairperson


Approximately one month has passed since we cooked for and served at the shelter in Hackensack. We served to over 75 people (a smaller group than we had been told to prepare for), but if more people had shown up, we would have been ready, due to this congregation's very generous volunteers. Toda rabba to Debby and Rabbi Barry Schwartz, Cantor Sandy Horowitz, Marilyn, Cheryl, Rich, Joan O., Kate, Sandy Z. and Michael S., Fanny, Michael F., Virginia, Elka, Claudia, Kim M., Carol, Jerry, Lauren, Rachel, Michael R., Joan R., Norm, Doris, Jody, Vincent, Randi, Pearl and Ronald! A special thank you to Marilyn, who communicates with "Family Promise", sets this program up for us and remains "on call" regarding my emails. To our temple youth: Skylar, Melissa, Ethan and Drew... you did us proud, as well as yourselves!

New project­. For the month of January, we will be collecting toiletries [hotel, sample and full sized] as well as cleaning products for Oelhaf House. This organization works with Shelter OurSisters, which deals with the housing issues of the people being helped. Please leave donations in the back of the social hall, in the labeled box. Thank you to Cheryl Alicchio for bringing this to our attention.

Food collection continues. About 10 bags and 2 cases of food plus a check donation were just brought to the Center for Food Action. Nice....!!!!

Closed collections­. Winter adult outerwear­ was brought to Council of Jewish Women Thrift Shop in Bergenfield instead of Women’s Center in Englewood, due to unforeseen circumstances. The shop was very grateful for the donation! Soda tabs­ will be sent to Ronald McDonald House. Social Action seems to be a part of life that is always in need. You, the members of Adas Emuno, have made this aspect of our congregation very successful during 2014. Sincerest thanks to all, for your good hearts and willingness to go the extra mile. A happy and healthy 2015 to everyone!

L'Shalom,

Annette, Social Action Committee Chairperson

acheryl21 at gmail.com

Social Action Roundup

From the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:


A Report from Annette DeMarco
Social Action Committee Chairperson


My fellow congregants, you did it again! Our High Holy Days Food Drive was a total success! Our “drop-off” room in the back of the sanctuary was loaded to the brim and beyond! A very special thank you to all of those who donated, and to Norm Rosen, who arranged for the donation of grocery bags from ShopRite.

Mitzvah Day, Sunday, November 2nd—Religious School/Social Action Committee Book Drive. The boxes in the social hall, decorated by Molly Lawrence (with signs made by our students), have been filled and refilled a number of times. Thank you to all who brought in so many great childrens' books.

Clothing Drive: Nov. 9-23. Adult outerwear for men and women: coats, jackets, gloves, mittens, scarves, hats and boots (new and gently used) will be collected and donated to the Womens’ Rights Center in Englewood. Please bring to the social hall.

Hackensack Shelter—Sunday, December 7th. It's our turn to cook and serve dinner... we cook for well over 100 people, so even if you can't serve, we will need lots of food prepared! Please mark this date as this particular project takes a congregation!! Information will be forthcoming via email so keep an eye out. A shout out to Marilyn Katz for having set this up.

For the future: Please begin saving up toiletries, such as shampoo, soap, dental products, etc. Hotel-sized items as well as larger sizes will work. Please do not bring to the temple, yet. Information will come later.

Soda can tabs collected for Ronald McDonald House will continue through the end of December. Food collection for Center for Food Action—always on!!

Thank you for all that you do for our community and for the world, one day, one project at a time.

L'Shalom,

Annette, Social Action Committee Chairperson

acheryl21 at gmail.com

Social Action is Ongoing

From the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:


A Report from Annette DeMarco
Social Action Committee Chairperson


Social action is ongoing. It takes volunteers to make it happen, to make it work, to help those who need help. I want to thank the volunteers, members of Adas Emuno, for being involved. Beginning with Erev Yom Kippur, so many of you "volunteered" to donate food to the Center for Food Action. The small room outside of the sanctuary was overflowing! Thank you! 

And a big toda raba to Norm Rosen, who printed up copies of the food wish list, helped to staple them onto the bags and made arrangements to have the food items picked up from the temple. Food items continue to be collected. The eyeglasses we collected were delivered to the Lions of Leonia. Thank you to Bara Capote for hand delivering them! (This collection is now closed.) 

We are currently collecting warm winter clothing for adults, which will be split between the Womens' Center of Englewood and the HUC Soup Kitchen/Clothing Closet in New York. Donations will be accepted through November. Thank you to Richard Alicchio for his help on Mitzvah Day sorting through items already brought in. And thank you to Maranda Raskin who stopped in to help sort books and toys. 

Our Mitzvah Day project is a co-sponsorship with the Adas Emuno Religious School. Books and toys collected will be donated to a school in Elizabeth. They will be wrapped by students and parents at a special family program. Marilyn Katz and Lauren Roland, from the Social Action Committee, as well as the parent in charge from the religious school, took shifts in the social hall to accept donations being dropped off. Books and toys will continue to be collected through November 24th, as well as tape and wrapping paper. Soda can tabs are still being collected for donation to the Ronald McDonald House.

Please watch for more details about our cooking and serving for the Hackensack Shelter on Sunday, December 23rd.

L’Shalom, Annette <acheryl21 at gmail.com>

Help Wanted!

From the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:


A Report from Annette DeMarco
Social Action Committee Chairperson


At this time, most items donated by you have been delivered….  and appreciated!

Coats for women and children were brought to the Women's Rights Information Center, Englewood. Jackets and warm clothing were brought to Temple Beth El of Northern Valley, and from there, delivered to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Soup Kitchen at the New York Campus. Word came back that these items, especially the jackets, were immediately taken by people in need. Food donations were brought to the Center for Food Action. There were over ten bags of groceries with this last delivery. The Leonia Metropolitan Market also gave items for this food drive and we gratefully acknowledge this generous gesture. Donations made to Shelter Our Sisters will be delivered soon.

Our next project will take place on Sunday, January 27. We will be cooking for and serving a pasta and meatball dinner to folks who live at the shelter in Hackensack as well as walk-ins. We need to prepare 150 meals so we REALLY need YOUR help! Cooks will be needed, as well as people to help serve. Some of us will be meeting at Adas Emuno mid-afternoon in order to heat food left there and to be sure we “have everything”. Others will meet at the shelter at 4 PM to help serve. Please stay tuned for more details in an email coming soon. You can also contact me [Annette] at acheryl21 at gmail.com or call at 201-641-7496. Sign-up sheets will be available in the Social Hall, too.

Sincerest thanks to everyone who has been supporting this committee’s projects! And a special thank you to Richard Alicchio for helping with deliveries and acting as a live GPS! May the year of 2013 bring health, happiness, security and peace of mind to all.

Stepping Up as Winter Approaches

From the pages of Kadima, the newsletter of Congregation Adas Emuno:


A Report from Annette DeMarco
Social Action Committee Chairperson


Start packing your gently used, warm and comfy mens/womens winter clothing, coats, jackets, scarves, gloves and hats. These items will be divided between the Womens’ Rights Center in Englewood and the HUC soup kitchen in New York. Please bring your donations to the temple [to the closets in the downstairs social hall] now through November 15. That evening, the Social Action Committee members will meet, pack them up, and ship them over.

By the time this article is being read, we would already have had a presentation from Sheila, a representative of Shelter Our Sisters. It would be wonderful to have members volunteer to work at some of their fund raising events. Some are one-time commitments while others are ongoing. Perhaps you can get together with a friend or a few parents of your child’s Religious School class? Just a thought…

Food Drive: Interesting thing about feeding the hungry is that it keeps happening, over and over, a few times each day. For some, it means a battle with calories. For others, well, it means they will keep feeling hungry. This is why we need to keep our participation going!

More thoughts… with the coming of Thanksgiving and Chanukah, here is an idea. When we invite people to our homes to celebrate, let’s ask them to add to the “bountiful harvest” which will be on the dinner table, or to bring one more special, holiday gift in the form of a nonperishable food item. Have a basket set up where these items can be placed. Another way you can contribute is by bringing a food item, or a monetary donation (cash or check) to the Leonia Interfaith Thanksgiving Service that Adas Emuno is hosting on November 21st at 8 PM. These donations will be delivered to the Center for Food Action.

Looking ahead… please keep late afternoon, Sunday, January 27, 2013 open. We will be heading to the shelter in Hackensack to serve the residents and walk-ins. Not available? Maybe you could do some of the cooking, then? Please be on the lookout for more information.

Does anyone know of an organization that collects baby/childrens’ items which go directly to those in need? [or a family?] If so, please email Annette at acheryl21 at gmail.com with the information!

We realize that everyone cannot become involved with all of the activities listed here. We do need your help, though. Others are counting on us. May we please count on you?

News From Our Social Action Committee

Social Action News

Social Action Committee Programs

Sunday, October 21, 2012 9:00 AM--Please join us as a representative from Shelter Our Sisters talks to us about the programs that this organization offers to victims of domestic violence (presentations on bullying will also be made for our religious school students). We will be informed of ways we can volunteer to help as well as of the SOS wish list. Although this wish list changes from time to time and includes numerous items, here are a few which we can donate at this time:

• Twin sheets- new/nearly new
• Bath and hand towels, washcloths- new
• Twin sized blankets- new/nearly new
• Toothbrushes- new
• Childrens’, womens’ socks- new
• Diapers- sizes 4,5,6
• Gift cards
• Toothbrushes- new

Sunday, November 4, 2012 8:30am-12 noon [Mitzvah Day]--We will be working through Bonim Builders to paint a classroom at Children's Aid and Family Services in Paramus. Meet at the temple at 8:00 AM and carpool or drive on your own. Just get into your “best “ work clothes and come on down! No painting equipment necessary. All will be provided. [ages 12 and up].

Clothing Drives--Winter clothes, including outer wear, for men and women Womens’ coats and jackets will be given to the Women's Rights Information Center, Englewood.  Also, womens’ and mens’ clothing and mens’ outer wear will be donated to the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion Soup Kitchen at the New York Campus. Please bring items to the temple, from October 21st through November 15th. The donated clothing will go directly to people in need.

Stay tuned as there is more in the works!

The Adas Emuno Social Action Committee