Social Action

Social Action committee work involves direct services to those in need. Current active social action programs are:

Backpack Drive: Every Spring a paper tree appears in the lobby of the synogague building. It’s decorated with small cards that identify the name, age, sex and school supply needs of a child from pre-K through high school. A backpack is purchased for that student and filled with the needed supplies. Completed backpacks are then distributed by Next Door Solutions. This agency provides safe houses for battered women and their children. For more information, contact Chairperson Amy Nishide.

Blood Drive: Every Fall and Spring Shir Hadash hosts a blood drive conducted by the Stanford Blood Center. For more information, contact Chairperson Dale Bergman.

Community-Supported Agriculture: Through the CSA program, our members can support local farmers by buying their freshly-picked produce on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Our local Farmer is J & P Organics from Salinas. Sign up to receive a box of the freshest, most nutritious seasonal produce each week (or as often as you like). The boxes are delivered on Tuesdays for pick-up at the Temple.

Food Drive for Second Harvest Food Bank: The Fall Food Drive starts on Erev Rosh Hashonah when bags for food are distributed. Filled bags are returned at the Kol Nidre or Yom Kippur service. Second Harvest always welcomes non-perishable canned and boxed goods, and especially needs nutritious foods. For specific needs go to www.secondharvestfood.org/donate. A second food drive takes place in the spring. For more information, contact Chairperson Sarah Nolan.

Green Team: The goals of the Green Team are to help make Shir Hadash a green facility and encourage our temple members to conserve and protect natural resources in connection with transportation, food, energy and water use. The Green Team has promoted carpooling to religious school, recycling in the temple buildings, composting food waste for the temple garden, use of green cleaning products, efficient lighting, and reusable green shopping bags. The Green Team hosts an annual green Tu B’Shvat Seder. For more information, contact .

Healthy Living Fair: Shir Hadash organizes an annual health fair where free health screenings are provided to a large medically underserved community in San Jose. We team with the Muslim Community Center and the church hosting the fair for this event. Medical, non-medical and Spanish-English speaking volunteers all help to make this a highly successful event. For more information, contact co-chairs Robin Mano and Julie Collier.

Holiday Visits to the Homebound for High Holidays, Chanukah & Passover: Volunteers from Shir Hadash deliver holiday foods from Jewish Family services, and give the gift of their company to homebound elderly. For more information, contact Chairperson .

Meal Service at Shelter Outreach Center: Volunteers from Shir Hadash serve dinners to homeless clients at the seasonal nightly shelter located at the National Guard Armory in Sunnyvale. These dinners are scheduled between the Monday after Thanksgiving through the end of March. For more information, contact Chairperson Mark Goldman.

Mitzvah/Tzedakah day: On Sunday, January 15, 2012, adults and children from the Shir Hadash community will participate in a variety of projects for the benefit of the temple and local communities. The activities this year will include making and serving meals to the homeless, making blankets for those in need, park clean-up, an ice cream social and talent show at a retirement home, a Humane Society project, and more. For more information, contact .