TAE Social Action
Making a Difference Together
Highlights of this Month's Email - (Scroll for Details)

Social Action Planning Meetings
Social Action Committee - July 16
Mitzvah Day Planning Committee - July 22
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Collecting Items for Welcome Baskets (July 1 - 15) for Veterans Moving Into New Many Mansions Apartments;
Assembling Baskets - August 5
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ADL Supreme Court Review - July 9
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Assemble Backpacks for the Homeless - July 21
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Many Mansions' 40th Anniversary Celebration - August 24
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Labor Day Harvest -September 2
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Conejo Valley Meals for the Homeless - Sign Ups Available
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Sign up now for Casa Pacifica Road to Independence
November 2
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Sign up now for Blood Drive - November 3
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Become a Mentor for At Risk Families and Individuals - Applications available
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Social Action Committee Volunteers Needed
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Volunteer Opportunities in the Community
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Visit www.AdatElohim.org/socialaction to learn about TAE social action opportunities. The information changes regularly, so please check back often! We have great events planned - Join us!

Marcia & Harold Gordon - Social Action Co-Chairs
socialaction@adatelohim.com
Social Action Committee Meeting

The next Social Action Committee meeting will be

Tuesday, July 16, 7 pm Room 6
All members are invited to join us to learn more about TAE social action, bring new ideas, help plan upcoming events and get involved.
Contact Marcia & Harold Gordon with questions and to RSVP SocialAction@AdatElohim.com
Projects & Opportunities

ADL presents a Supreme Court Review
Tuesday, July 9, 8:30 am in Westlake Village
Join the Anti Defamation League Santa Barbara/Tri-Counties Region as they host a viewing of ADL's Supreme Court Review.
With a new Supreme Court justice on the bench and challenges to executive actions, this year has been an eventful term with significant ramifications.
Dive into the details with the ADL, as together we learn from America's Town Hall program with distinguished legal scholars Erwin Chemerinsky, Paul Clement, Frederick Lawrence, and Dahlia Lithwick as they discuss the most important cases of the term, including adding a citizenship question to the 2020 census, partisan gerrymandering, and religious symbols in the public square.

Location will be shared upon RSVP.

RSVP: by Monday, July 8th to (805) 564-6670 or email: CSilverman@adl.org

Continental breakfast will be provided. CLE credit (2 hours) are available.
Welcome Baskets for New Many Mansions Residents

In the fall, Many Mansions will open a new facility in Oxnard ( Ormond Villas ), which will have 40 apartments for homeless veterans with a disability and low/very low- income veteran families.

From July 1 - July 15, the interfaith community is collecting supplies to make welcome baskets for these new residents.

In August, we will come together to make the baskets.

Here is how you can help!
  1. Visit www.adatelohim.org/ormond to select that you would like donate.
  2. Purchase the items and drop them off in the box in the TAE office from July 1 - July 15.
  3. You may also purchase the items online and have them delivered directly to TAE between July 1 - 15. The instructions are in the sign up link.
  4. Join us to put together the baskets on August 5 at 7 pm in the Social Hall.

Questions: Email socialaction@adatelohim.com
Assemble Care Packages for the Homeless!


At Hope Mill in North Hills
Sunday, July 21
Noon - 3:30pm

Open to all ages - a wonderful family event that will include music & snacks to keep everyone energized, feeling good & having fun! Chairs provided as needed.

The Hope Mill Assembly Center is at 8158 Orion Avenue, Van Nuys near Roscoe and the 405 freeway. Carpools will leave from TAE no later than 11:00am on 7/21.

Each volunteer this month is asked to bring DEODORANT (“gender-neutral” - suitable for male or female).

RSVP required by July 8 to: Liz Oliver, Sisterhood Social Action Chair 805-405-9921 or email: a.lemur61@gmail.com

Hope Mill is a non-profit distributing street-ready CarePacks for Southern California's homeless. Volunteers work together in assembly line style to fill backpacks with daily life necessities such as food, water, & toiletries. With your help, a whole month’s worth of CarePacks will be ready for the needy in just a few hours! Visit Hopemill.com
HELP NEEDED: Homeless / Community Meals

Please help to feed the homeless in our community.

TAE is proud to participate with other faith communities in the Conejo Valley to ensure that a hot meal and sack lunch are available to those in need throughout the year. TAE provides the meal on the 4th Wednesday of each month (April - November) at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Westlake Village. You can drop off your portion of the meal or stay and serve. Kids 5 and older are welcome to help with a parent. There are lots of unfilled donation spots between July and November so please contact the shelter committee at  taeshelter@yahoo.com  for more information and to sign up to bring part of a meal.
Celebrating 40 years!

Help Many Mansions celebrate their 40th anniversary!

Saturday, August 24
4pm - 6pm
Civic Arts Plaza Park


Did you know that 40 years ago TAE clergy and congregants played a role in the founding of Many Mansions? Many Mansions is turning 40 this August and to celebrate, they are having a big birthday bash in front of the Civics Arts Plaza on August 24. This free event will have food trucks, live music, carnival games, and much more for the whole family.

Want to volunteer for this event? They are going to need help with the event prep, day of event stations, and, of course, clean up. We hope to see you there—if not as a volunteer, then as a guest!
For more information about the above opportunities or to volunteer, please contact Jessica Lawson at JessicaL@manymansions.org .

Be a Mentor for At-Risk Families and Individuals.
 
Conejo Valley Mentoring Program (CVMP)

Applications for mentors now open; program beginning in September
This new Conejo Valley program will connect local at-risk families and individuals with mentors who will assist them in finding resources to navigate daily issues including housing, food, and health. Mentors will be a stable influence who will help to connect mentees with available resources and professionals.
 
Applications are currently being accepted from Conejo Valley adults who would like to volunteer and establish a mentoring relationship with at-risk families/individuals. Mentors will be trained in early September and matched with a mentee after the training. The program will be supervised by Harbor House.

Role of Mentors:
  • Be a listener
  • Help the mentee develop life skills
  • Be a role model
  • Be a friend
  • Provide informational resources to connect mentees with available professionals related to housing, food, and health. (The CVMP will share these resources with you so that you can provide them to those you mentor.)
 
The Mentor is not:
  • Responsible for the actions of the mentee
  • Providing financial or other direct support
  • A fixer of all challenges of life circumstances
  • The Mentees therapist or doctor
 
Mentoring is a brain to pick, an ear to listen and a push in the right direction.
-   John Crosby
 
I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
-Maya Angelou
 
For questions about the Conejo Valley Mentoring Program, email socialaction@adatelohim.com .

To complete a mentor application, click here .
4th Annual Interfaith Labor Day Harvest
Monday, September 2 9am - 1pm
The Abundant Table Farm in Camarillo
Join with other community members to help tend a non-profit, organic farm and harvest produce for local food pantries. The work concludes with lunch and live music. Service hours available for students. All ages welcome.

Casa Pacifica's
Road to Independence

Saturday, November 2
8:30am - 12:30pm
The annual Road to Independence at Casa Pacifica allows foster youth (ages 14-19) the opportunity to practice living skills in a real life environment. Demo booths such as banking, employment, vocational and more provide youth an introduction to manage independent living. Volunteers are needed to run the booths. No experience is required and it is a lot of fun! Although it is a few months away, volunteer sign ups are needed now to ensure a spot. RSVP to Lisa Sparrow at Casa Pacifica at 805-366-4019 or email her at lsparrow@casapacifica.org . Please also send an email to socialaction@adatelohim.com so we know who is going from TAE.
Fall Blood Drive -
Sunday, November 3
 
Reserve your space today.
It's not too early to schedule your donation time. Invite your friends to join you. Make a brunch date and donate before or after your time and donate together!
 
To schedule an appointment, please contact:
Joyce Bloom: jbloom1967@gmail.com 805-241-5440
Can You Help?
Social Action Volunteers Needed
For Future Events

TAE has a rich tradition of social action. We have many wonderful projects that benefit both the recipients and the volunteers. These events take planning and organization. We invite you to explore these opportunities and find a fun and engaging way to get involved in planning one or a number of different events throughout the year. Presently we are looking for people to help plan the following events:

Mitzvah Day (11/17/19) - We are looking for 2 people to follow up with the non-profits that we help on Mitzvah Day. Estimated time commitment: 4 hours a month from July - early November. The Mitzvah Day planning meeting will be held on 7/22/19 at 7pm in the Youth Lounge. Anyone who is interested in helping with the planning committee is welcome to attend. RSVP to socialaction@adatelohim.com .

Community Holiday Dinner (12/25/19) - We invite you to join the Holiday Dinner planning committee. We are looking for the following planning volunteers:
  • Decorations -coordinate the decorations (time includes 12/25, a meeting or two in the fall and approximately 4 hours the week of 12/15 to move the decorations from the Newbury Park storage unit to temple.)
  • Advertising - We are looking for people to deliver flyers and for one person to coordinate flyer distribution to advertise the dinner. Flyers are delivered throughout the Conejo. Estimated time commitment for coordinator: Sept/October - 3-4 hours, Late November/early December - 5-6 hours.

The planning meeting for the Community Holiday Dinner will be held on Tuesday, September 3 at 7pm in the Youth Lounge . If you are interested in helping to plan the dinner, please RSVP to socialaction@adatelohim.com .

Currently we are only taking RSVPs for those who would like to work on the planning committee. Signups to volunteer on the day of the dinner will be available after Thanksgiving.

Social Action Shabbat/MLK Day of Service (1/17/20, 1/20/20) - Help plan this new TAE Social Action event. We are looking for committee members to help create this new opportunity to make a difference. Estimated time commitment: July - December: 6 - 8 hours, and the day of the event. The planning meeting will be held on Monday, September 16 at 7pm in the Youth Lounge. RSVP to socialaction@adatelohim.com .

Jewish Disability Awareness, Acceptance and Inclusion Month (February 2020) - Help plan opportunities to raise awareness in February. Estimated time commitment: July - January: 6 - 8 hours, and during the planned events in February. The planning meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 10 at 7pm in the Library. RSVP to socialaction@adatelohim.com .

Please contact Marcia or Harold Gordon at socialaction@adatelohim.com with questions or to express interest.
Caring Community of TAE needs your help!

Our Caring Community is dedicated to reaching out to those in our TAE community who are in need. 

Do you have some time to make a few phone calls to people who are in need to let them know that their TAE family is thinking of them? Do you have time to visit people who are in need of some company while they are ill? If you can help, please contact Cantor David at dshukiar@adatelohim.com (805) 497-7101. Please also contact Cantor David if you know someone in need.
Volunteer Opportunities in the Community


Many Mansions needs volunteers
Many Mansions has an urgent need for volunteers to assist with regular filing and organizing tasks at three of their local communities. Volunteer time is flexible.

They are also looking for a volunteer who is a pet care professional, maybe a vet or groomer, that can provide their low-income residents with a workshop for simple grooming and pet care tips.

If you can help with either of these needs, please contact Jessica Lawson at Many Mansions at jessicaL@manymansions.org .
Ventura County United Way
Day of Caring
Saturday, September 28
On Saturday, September 28, the Ventura County United Way has a list of projects that need to be completed at many different organizations in the area.
Go to www.volunteerventuracounty.org to sign up for a project that is best for you .
Collection Corner
Food Collection for Manna
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. 

Please make sure that you are bringing unexpired, unopened food items. The items that they need most are:

1.Baking Items – Cake/Cookie Mix – Sugar
2.Hamburger Helper
3.Tomato Sauce / Paste
4.Canned Pasta
5.Canned Stew/Chilli
6.Spaghetti Sauce
7.Hot & Cold Cereal
8.Mac and Cheese
9. Cookies/Crackers
10.Empty Egg cartons (Manna needs donations of fresh eggs-these cannot be left at Temple and they use the egg cartons to distribute them to their clients.)

Please do not bring food supplements or Passover foods.

A huge thank you to Maggi Salfi who regularly delivers our donations to Manna.
What We've Been Doing


Packing lunches on June 11 at
St. Jude's Catholic Church


 Thank you to those who joined us to pack lunches for local children. We packed 800 lunches and 175 additional food bags which were distributed to 7 organizations!
Congregant Serena Tobias had the opportunity to volunteer at Food Share in Oxnard with her work. She wrote this poem:

It's a bittersweet feeling to help at Food Share.
    We have fun and look forward to it each year
But honestly,
    it would be so much better if the need were not there.
 
Helping the food insecure
It's a Mitzvah,
    a good deed,
Tikkun Olam;
    means healing the world
it's what I do.
 
I feed the homeless
Early in the Morning
    a hot breakfast
a couple of times a year
I help at the winter shelter monthly
    'tween December and March
 
I'd rather find something else to do
    Anything else to do
To spend my time on
 
This however is not my reality
Food insecurity is a real thing
A need to help, to shop for and serve
 
Food is something we take for granted
Unfortunately, the guests at Food Share
    Don't have that view
They need help feeding themselves
The saddest of all
  It's for not only their kids
But their parents too
 
On-Going Projects & Opportunities
Tzedakah Box
Donations to the Tzedakah Box will be donated to the TAE disaster fund. Our Tzedakah box is located in the foyer right outside the door to the sanctuary. Please help us help others .
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! 
Temple Adat Elohim| | SocialAction@AdatElohim.com | www.AdatElohim.org