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TAE Social Action -
Making a Difference Together
January 2018
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Visit
www.AdatElohim.com/socialaction
to see all of the available social action opportunities. The information changes regularly, so please check back often!
We hope that 2018 will bring more social action opportunities into your lives. We have great events planed - Join us!
TAE has two Social Action Havurot that are always looking for new members. Click the following links for details.
Marcia & Harold Gordon - Social Action Co-Chairs
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January
Projects & Opportunities
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This Saturday, January 6th.
Join fellow TAE members to help build a home with Habitat for Humanity
5-8 spaces still available for this new date
(Rescheduled from December because of smoke from the fires).
AGES 16+, NO PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE OR SKILL REQUIRED!
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The Low Income Housing Crisis -
What can we do?
Rick Schroeder - President of Many Mansions will address this important question on Sunday, January 7th at the TAE Sunday Morning Speaker Series sponsored by Brotherhood.
This Sunday, January 7th, 9:15 am
We're excited to welcome Rick to our breakfast speaker series. Since 1979, Many Mansions (our neighbor) has provided well-managed, service-enriched, affordable housing to low-income residents of Ventura County and its surrounding communities. By providing decent housing and life-enriching services to those most in need, they aim to break the cycle of poverty and remove the barriers that prevent members of our community from having a basic need met-a roof over their head.
Many Mansions owns and manages over 500 units of affordable housing, serving approximately 1,200 adults and 300 children, providing on-site services and programs that include job training, case management, homework tutoring, a teen club, and much more. Join us on January 7th, to learn more about this wonderful organization and enjoy breakfast with fellow TAE members.
The Monthly Sunday Morning Speaker Series is provided for the entire TAE community and sponsored by Brotherhood. Arrive at 9:15 to enjoy a light breakfast. Speakers begin their presentations at approximately 9:45 am. A $5 at the door donation is suggested for those having breakfast. Please RSVP to rsalfi@alumni.stevens.edu if you will be enjoying breakfast with us so that we can ensure that we have enough food.
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Social Action Committee Meeting
** CHANGED DATE **
Tuesday, January 16th, 7 p.m.
Location: Room 6
All members are invited to join us to learn more about TAE social action and get involved.
Contact Marcia & Harold Gordon with questions and to RSVP: SocialAction@AdatElohim.com
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Do you have old coats or winter clothes in your closets? Winter is here. Reclaim some closet space and help a foster youth stay warm this winter by donating them to:
Coats for Casa Pacifica (Foster Youth)
Saturday, January 13th - 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM.
Three Springs Park, Westlake Village
The Coats for Casa event collects gently used winter clothes such as coats, jackets, sweaters, hoodies, mittens/gloves, winter hats and scarves to help foster youth at Casa Pacifica
stay warm during the chilly months. Casa Pacifica is an organization that offers
to foster youth
services that include emergency shelter, medical assistance and other community-based interventions. Coats of all sizes are needed. TAE member Rick Winters of Winters Financial Group and Lydia Gable of Keller Williams Westlake Village have teamed up to host the 8th Annual Coats for Casa charity event on Saturday, January 13, 2018 from 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM. at Three Springs Park in Westlake Village. Children and people of all ages are invited to come play in the snow, go sledding, do crafts and enjoy complimentary coffee and smoothies, all while supporting a worthy cause by dropping off gently used warm clothing items.
Items may be dropped off at temple between January 1st and 12th.
For a list of other drop off locations and more information, visit the event website:
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Gemilut Chasadim Chavarim (TAE Adults)
SOVA Food Pantry
Friday, January 19th 10am-Noon.
Calling all TAE adults to come to the SOVA Food Pantry in Van Nuys to sort food from 10am-Noon.
"SOVA" is a Hebrew word that means "eat and be satisfied."
Much more than a food pantry, Jewish Family Service's SOVA provides free groceries and an array of supportive services to over 9,000 individuals of all ages, ethncities and religions each month.
RSVP required by January 15th to socialaction@adatelohim.com
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Chesed (Acts of Loving Kindness) Social Action events for families with children in Kindergarten through 6th grade.
Sunday, January 28th -
Help the Environment!
Chesed is volunteering with the Mountains Restoration Trust to restore native vegetation in a local park. Chesed families should watch their email for more details soon.
For more information or to be added to the Chesed email list, please contact Chesed co-chairs:
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Tour of Many Mansions
Sunday, January 28th - 2:00 - 3:30 pm
Come and see the amazing work that is being done by Many Mansions in the Conejo Valley.
TAE members will be given a private tour of the facilities and learn about all that is being done in low-income housing in the Conejo Valley. RSVP required by January 25th to
socialaction@adatelohim.com
.
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Pink Yoga
Supporting those diagnosed with cancer
Monday,
January 29th 6-8pm
It's time to get your OHM on!
Open to all! Men, women, kids,
1st time and experienced yogies!
Sisterhood Social Action and the TAE Social Action Committee are joining with Sharsheret to present Pink Yoga on Monday, January 29, 2018 from 6-8 p.m. in the Social Hall. Join us for a fun hour-long yoga class and learn about Sharsheret, an organization that supports people who have been diagnosed with breast cancer and/or ovarian cancer.
The evening will begin with a quick informational speaker to tell us how the Sharsheret organization helps those in our communities, followed by an hour-long yoga class and snacks. Please wear comfortable clothes, bring a yoga mat and/or towel and a donation of organic make-up (moisturizer, foundation, concealer, bronzer, blush, clear nail strengthener, false eyelashes, eyebrow stencils, natural colored eyeliner, eyeshadows, neutral colored lip gloss or balm, sheer lipstick and lip liner). Sharasheret provides a "Best Face Forward" kit to women going through treatment to address the side effects of radiation and chemo. All proceeds from the evening will go to Sharsheret. Learn more about Sharsheret at
sharsheret.org
Cost: $20 donation. RSVPs are a MUST by January 12th.
Mail checks payable to Temple Adat Elohim to:
Ellen Southard, 719 Admiral Court, Oak Park 91377.
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Be A Shoe-per Hero......Shoes that Fit
With one small, simple act of generosity, you can help change the life of a local child. Temple Adat Elohim has formed a chapter of "Shoes that Fit", an organization that provides new shoes to students in need. Shoes purchased by TAE members are provided to children who attend Sierra Linda Elementary School in Oxnard, a school where 86% of students qualify for the low income free or reduced cost meal program.
Want to help? 20 students received shoes following Mitzvah Day in November.Now we have the opportunity to provide shoes to more of their students. If you would like to participate by purchasing and donating a pair of shoes email Sarah Reines at sarahjreines@gmail.com. After you sign you, you will be provided with the gender and shoe size for one of the students. Simply purchase a pair of athletic shoes of the requested size and drop them off at temple within a week of receiving the shoe size. Shoes will be delivered to the children at school.
A new pair of shoes can be a life-changing event for a child. School attendance, self-esteem and behavior improve. Physical activity increases. Smiles return. All from an often, over-looked item, a good pair of shoes.
Please contact
Sarah Reines at
sarahjreines@gmail.com with any questions.
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Upcoming and On-Going Projects & Opportunities
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"This Is Hunger" Exhibit is Coming to T.O.
We are very excited to announce that Temple Adat Elohim and Ascension Lutheran Church are partnering to host the exhibit "This is Hunger" from Mazon, a Jewish Response to Hunger.
February 10th - 14th, the "This is Hunger" exhibit will be at Ascension Lutheran Church. This mobile experience features a 53-foot-long, 10-foot-high, 1000 square foot double-expandable trailer. In the trailer you will sit at the table and virtually meet real people struggling with hunger as they share their stories in their own words with their own voices. You'll have various opportunities to delve more deeply into the issues and take action to support real change in the lives of those who struggle with hunger. RSVP's are a must. Visit
thisishunger.org/tour to schedule your visit and reserve your
free tickets. Learn how you can make a real difference.
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The Winter Shelter is Underway
Every Sunday night from December through March, TAE opens its doors to the neediest in our community by turning our social hall into a temporary overnight shelter. We serve a hot meal to 50-90 people and provide overnight accommodation to 25-45 people. This takes an army of volunteers, and we welcome all the help we can get!
Thank you to all who responded to the call to do the weekly laundry or donate to help pay for the laundry to be done. Volunteers and donations for this important job are still welcome. Fluff & fold charges approximately $125/week when volunteers are not available to do this important job. Donations to the winter shelter fund to help defray this cost can be made on the TAE website by clicking here and selecting "Winter Shelter Fund" under "Social Action".
Other Volunteer opportunities include: Preparing lunch bags to-go for each guest, preparing breakfast bags for the overnight guests for the morning, doing laundry after the overnight guests leave and chaperoning (sleeping over) with others to keep an eye on our facility and to ensure the safety of all. Note about dinners: These are provided not only by TAE but also by church and community groups. If you are part of a temple group and are interested in providing dinner, please contact the TAE Shelter Committee to check availability.
The TAE Shelter team is happy to explain any or all of these roles in more detail. If you are interested in participating in the winter shelter along with hundreds of other TAE congregants, please send an email to taeshelter@yahoo.com with your contact information and one of our team members will call you back.
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How TAE Made A Difference in December
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December was another busy social action month!
- Chesed families delivered the toys that were collected during Mitzvah Day, decorated the room and provided a pizza party for Ventura County Foster Youth at Aspiranet in Camarillo.
- Our house build with Habitat for Humanity was postponed until January 6th due to the poor air quality during the Thomas Fire.
- TAE members and other community members help bake and pack 1,000 packages of homemade cookies and treats for foster youth through "Homemade with love".
- Our Shelter operated every Sunday night, providing a hot meal and a warm place to sleep for those in need in our community.
- On December 25th, we hosted the 23rd Annual Community Holiday Dinner. Approximately 250 guests enjoyed a wonderful turkey meal with delicious sides and yummy desserts while being entertained by wonderful volunteer musicians and a magician. Hundreds of new toys were provided to our guests.
Click here to view pictures and read about the day.
Thank you to all of our awesome donors without whom we could not create this annual event, especially the key support of the Westlake Village Junior Women's Club, BSC Catering, Ideal Meats, Costco, Top Tier Treats and the Imperial Toy Company. Thank you to the 150+ volunteers who spent Christmas Day making this event happen for those in our community. Thank you also to Andrea Moxley and Amy Corin, the Dinner co-chairs and the wonderful planning committee - Bob Mills, Bob Grossman, Patti and Bob Murray, Robin and Randy Fox, Bonnie Vandenberg, Sheldon and Tobi Tillis, Nancy and Neil Federman.
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Collection Corner - Donations Needed
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Winter coats and clothing for foster youth
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January 1st - 12th
See Coats for Casa Pacifica above for details.
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Food Collection for Manna Food Pantry
On-going. Year Round.
The yellow bin in the sanctuary foyer is always available to receive your donations of food items. Make it a habit to bring something to donate each time you come to temple. Leave temple knowing that you made a difference in someone's life.
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On-Going Programs & Events
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Tzedakah Box
To date we have collected $213 to help victims of the Hurricanes and Northern California Fires. Currently we are collecting to help victims of the Ventura County fire. Our Tzedakkah box is located in the foyer right outside the door to the sanctuary. Please help us help others.
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Caring Community of TAE
Who: Members are invited to join at any time
Our Caring Community is dedicated to reaching out to those in our TAE community who are in need. If you know someone in need or would like to volunteer, please contact us.
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This monthly Social Action e-newsletter is sent from the Social Action committee at the beginning of each month. It includes upcoming social action opportunities that are available to the TAE community. We invite all TAE members to find your place in TAE Social Action. We hope that you will find a project (or many!) that touches your heart. We encourage you to participate and bring your temple friends with you! There is something for everyone.
If you have charities or projects that you support, please share them with us at socialaction@adatelohim.com. We might be able to involve others in a project that is important to you!
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Temple Adat Elohim
2420 East Hillcrest Dr., Thousand Oaks CA 91362-3198
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