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THANK YOU TO OUR INCREDIBLE COMMUNITY

Because of YOU, Mitzvah Day 2022 was a massive success!

Gratitude quote from Terry at LA Family Housing


Mitzvah Day 2022

Repairing our world, one mitzvah at a time!

Sunday, January 23, 2022 • 9am-12pm

Join together for VBS Mitzvah Day 2022 and share in acts of chesed (loving kindness) across our community!

VBS is committed to serving the neediest members of our community through a number of meaningful Mitzvah Day initiatives for all ages. Join us for a day of service as VBS gives back to our community! The work we accomplish together will make real differences in the lives of many.

Become a Mitzvah Mensch by participating in our many initiatives where we have the opportunity to do something good in this world, even if only for an hour or so.


Become a certified Mitzvah Mensch

Collect project stamps from each activity station in your Mitzvah Day passport!

Mitzvah Day participants will travel to each activity station and receive a stamp in their Mitzvah Mensch passport after completing each project.

Participating from home?
CLICK HERE FOR INSTRUCTIONS

Mitzvah Day Activity Stations

  • Donate Blood

Cedars Sinai
Safe blood saves lives! A decision to donate your blood can save one or several lives by helping patients in need. Be a hero to community members in need by signing up in advance for your Blood Drive donation. The Blood Drive will be held in Sher-Lopaty Chapel from 9am-3pm. Click here for more details >

Walk-ins are welcome or CLICK HERE TO REGISTER IN ADVANCE >

  • Assemble Hygiene Kits

VBS Food Bank
Come together to assemble crucial Hygiene Kits that will be gifted to community members in need. For more information about the collection of Hygiene Kit contents, see details listed under "Mitzvah Day Collections" section of this webpage.

  • Sort Food Bank Donations and Take a Tour

VBS Food Bank
As always, we will be collecting items for the Food Bank. Support the VBS Food Bank that works in conjunction with Jewish Family Services and SOVA to offer a 24-48 hour supply of food for the hungry.  Click here for a list of the most urgently needed items. For the full list of items we can accept, view our page here. To purchase items from our Amazon Wish List, you can do so here. We will include a tour of the VBS Food Bank with longtime member, Michael Wolf.

  • Pack Lunch Bags

Hope of the Valley
Feed the hungry: battle food insecurity in our community. This activity station will prepare lunch bags containing a balanced meal. Our Brown Bag Lunches will go to guests of Hope of the Valley Rescue Mission.

  • Decorate Get Well Cards

VBS Caring Connection
Comfort those in need by creating handmade Get Well Cards for our community members who are experiencing hard times. Use a sheet of paper, markers, crayons and colored pencils to write or draw sweet, simple messages.

  • Assemble Welcome Home Packages

LA Family Housing
Collection for Welcome Home Packages will begin January 3rd and continue through Mitzvah Day – but the sooner the better to ensure we have enough supplies! Assemble the packages together at Mitzvah Day as part of this important initiative to mark a momentous occasion in the lives of those  entering housing after being unhoused or shelter insecure.

  • Assemble Potpourri Bags

LA Jewish Home and Fountainview
Bring comfort and joy to elder residents by creating fragrant potpourri sachets and decorative cards. These thoughtful sachets will be filled with an herb and flower blend.

  • Make Bracelets for Children in Israel

Save A Child's Heart (Israel based)
This new initiative will allow participants to create bracelets that will be sent to Israel. Save A Child's Heart saves the lives of critically ill children suffering from heart disease in countries where access to pediatric heart care is limited or nonexistent. Through bringing children to Israel for medical care, performing missions abroad, and training medical personnel, we are bringing hope to families, communities, and countries. This activity station is organized through the leadership of VBS Day School student Sammy Binder.

Mitzvah Day Collection Items

In preparation for Mitzvah Day, we will be collecting the following items to supply our Mitzvah Day activity stations.

We encourage donations to be dropped off at VBS as soon as possible beginning January 3. We will continue accepting collections through our Mitzvah Day event on January 23.

We Made It Easier!

Click here for our
Target Wish List >
or Amazon Wish List >

HYGIENE KITS

  • Toothbrush
  • Toothpaste (Travel Size)
  • Body Soap (Travel Size)
  • Shampoo (Travel Size)
  • Conditioner (Travel Size)
  • Mini Deodorant

WELCOME HOME PACKAGES

  • Hard plastic laundry basket and laundry detergent
  • Toilet paper and paper towels
  • Dishes (set of 4)
  • Utensils (set of 4)
  • Bath towels (2-4)
  • Cleaning supplies (windex, all purpose surface cleaner)

VBS FOOD BANK

  • Cereal boxes (12-14 oz)
  • Mac & Cheese Boxes (7.25 oz)
  • Rice (16 oz)
  • Pasta (16 oz)
  • Peanut butter/nut butter (16 oz)
  • Canned items:  vegetables, beans, soup,  tuna, chicken, fruit, tomato sauce
  • Cereal bars
  • Instant oatmeal packets
  • Individual packets of dry snacks/pretzels
  • Individual packets of dry soup/ramen noodles
  • Misc Kosher, gluten free, and vegan items for those with dietary restrictions

Can't make it to VBS? Contribute Virtually!

Text
VBSMD to 41444

Your text donation works towards purchasing supplies needed for Mitzvah Day activity stations.






Health & Safety at Mitzvah Day

Valley Beth Shalom holds the health and safety of our community as our greatest priority. We all must continue do our part to ensure the collective wellness of our community.

Please do NOT attend Mitzvah Day in person if you are under isolation or quarantine orders. 

Do NOT participate in person on Mitzvah Day if you feel ill in any way, or are even thinking about not feeling well. 

All Mitzvah Day participants, regardless of vaccination status, are mandated to wear masks at all times (aside from eating and drinking). Surgical or N95/KN95 are strongly encouraged over cloth masks. 

Be prepared to show your ID and Proof of Vaccination upon entry.  Any person age 16+ must be fully vaccinated, and anyone between the ages of 5 and 16 must present a negative PCR test taken within 48 hours of attendance in accordance with the VBS Health & Safety Policy effective January 15, 2022. Read it here >

VBS Schools students who are tested weekly at VBS will be able to use their latest negative PCR test result to suffice.

Learn more about VBS's COVID policies and review Our Brit: A Covenant of Shared Responsibility on our Covid-19 webpage.  Our agreement and social commitment to one another through promises, protocols, procedures and etiquette is based on the guiding values and principles of VBS.


More Mitzvah Day Opportunities

MITZVAH DAY LUNCH SERVE

For anyone age 18+ interested in service OFF SITE on Mitzvah Day, we are gathering a group of VBS community members to help serve lunch at New Friends Homeless Center at St. Nicholas Church in Encino from 1-3:30pm.

Interested adults should contact Nitzan Barlev, Volunteer Engagement and Community Organizing Coordinator, at nbarlev@vbs.org by January 17, 2022.

Join us in meeting the basic physical, emotional and spiritual needs of the homeless and less fortunate, and see lives transformed! You can help! Over 60,000 people experience homelessness every night in LA County and the San Fernando Valley. New Friends Homeless Centers are independently operated and funded by local volunteers and sponsors. Help to successfully provide hot meals, clothing and hygiene kits to those in need. Spread hope, unconditional love and encouragement to guests who are experiencing homelessness.


2022 LAHSA COUNT

They count. Will you? 

Consider joining as a volunteer in the 2022 Homeless Count.

February 22, 2022
Encino Community Center
4935 Balboa Blvd, Encino, CA, 91316

Click here to sign up for the Encino group or sign up in your own neighborhood. Join volunteers across the San Fernando Valley on January 25th in the Greater LA Homeless Count.  The annual Homeless Count is an essential component in getting vital information that helps us provide an accurate picture of the state of homelessness in Los Angeles and deliver services where they are most needed. It also increases general homelessness awareness with the public and increases engagement with leaders, residents, and stakeholders. The ideal group will have three people. All volunteers must be 18+ for this year's count. 

Questions? Contact Nitzan Barlev, Volunteer Engagement and Community Organizing Coordinator, at nbarlev@vbs.org.


Celebrate MLK Day of Service on Monday, January 17, 2022

Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service is a defining moment each year when Americans across the country step up to make our communities more equitable and take action. Dr. King believed that “injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere” as he fought for systemic change. His example is our call to action. As we work to heal from the pandemic and its devastating impact on our community, the focus of this year’s Martin Luther King Day of Service is to combat one of the critical issues that has surfaced – education equity and the academic achievement gap. Click here to learn more about the opportunities below.

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Sponsorship Opportunities and Participation Commitment

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