Tell the Senate Appropriations Committee: California Climate Action Cannot Wait
Urge your California state legislators to fully fund Community Resilience Centers
Jewish Family and Community Services (JFCS) is welcoming a steady arrival of a large group of Ukranian refugees and they need our help getting them settled. VIA Temple Isaiah has stepped up to become a congregational cosponsor for this ICARE service project and will be looking for other faith communities to join us. We need volunteers who want to experience the deep satisfaction that comes with working with our neighbors of others to help fund, write notes of encouragement, assemble and deliver 50 or more hygiene kits to JFCS who will distribute them to these newly-landed Ukrainian refugees.
WHEN: Kit assembly will take place outdoors mid-June. The exact date, time and location will be determined soon. Location will likely be in Lafayette.
ICARE Volunteer Opportunity July 9, 1 pm – 3 pm at White Pony Express, 3380 Vincent Road #107 Pleasant Hill. Sort food at White Pony Express and get to know your interfaith neighbors. This interfaith service project offered through ICARE is a great, simple project. Just show up! White Pony is highly reputable and is seeking to eliminate hunger and poverty by delivering the abundance of food to people in need in our county. Go to https://www.signupgenius.com/go/409084ea5ab28abff2-white1#/ to sign up and for details. Questions? Contact Anita Weil anita.weil@gmail.com or Zina Rosen Simon zinalrs@gmail.com
Refugee Assistance….Urgent need for Welcome Teams to help JFCS settle newly arrived Afghan refugee families. As a member of a Welcome Team, help refugees find work, enroll their children in school, become familiar with their surroundings, etc. Contact Lisa Hirsch at lhirsch17@gmail.com if you are interested in joining a Team, new Teams forming or have any questions. JFCS can also use our help with the following:
2. ESL Tutors - This can be in person or via Zoom
3. Grocery Shopping for newcomers - buy groceries at your own expense and deliver them to clients
4. Adult Bikes - JFCS needs adult bikes in any condition.
5. Gift Cards - Target, Visa, Amazon and Safeway are preferred but they are grateful for anything. You can send them to the JFCS office at 2151 Salvio Street, Suite 350, Concord CA 94520 attn: Volunteer Services
On Going Help needed for an immigrant family of 8 to Get Children to/from School in Oakland. An immigrant family of 8 from Honduras is living in Winter Nights. This family was waiting at the Mexican border for two years to be able to ask for asylum. During these years the children were not able to attend school. They arrived in Oakland three months ago and were attending school there while living with a relative, until they became unhoused and moved into the Winter Nights shelter.
We need volunteers who can give the kids rides to and from school in Oakland (Dimond District area). Public transportation takes over an hour and is difficult because it is hard for the mom with her 3-year old. School starts at 8am and ends at 3pm. One day a week they get out at 1pm.
We also need places the mother and 3-year old can go during the day since the shelter closes from 7am-5pm on weekdays. A few hours in a congregational space, your home, or other safe places could make a real difference. Even if you only can do this once, it makes a huge difference!
Contact Nadia Tavera Medina, our Nueva Esperanza Accompaniment Teams (NEAT) Coordinator, at ntavera@im4humanintegrity.org if you are able to be part of this effort.
Winter Nights’ 2023 team is looking for more members We’d like 2-3 new members to join us in organizing and planning for Winter Nights the last two weeks of December. If you and your friends are looking for a way to participate in direct service to the unhoused community and can offer your time for a week or two at the end of the year, we need you! Winter Nights is a tradition for Temple Isaiah and we are serving the larger community of Contra Costa by hosting this rotating shelter for two weeks. Let me or Rabbi Lawrence know if you are interested. Joani deVries joandevries2@gmail.com
Jewish Coalition for Literacy has been serving Bay Area children and families for over 20 years! Now more than ever kids are struggling to read at grade level. To learn more about JCL's one-on-one K-5 reading tutoring program or to make a donation visit: www.jclread.org Contact Phyllis Edwards to learn about her experience with this rewarding program. (925)200-5239.
Join the Multi-faith ACTION Coalition to tackle the root causes of poverty. People from all faith backgrounds meet to identify issues, research potential solutions, and advocate by meeting with elected local and state officials, attending legislative visits, supporting bills, and writing letters. Contact Doug Leich, leichd@gmail.com to be connected with the task forces you wish to join. https://www.multifaithactioncoalition.org/newsletter/2022
Angel Network is a Temple Isaiah Caring Community of volunteers dedicated to offering comfort and support to members and their families in times of need. When a need arises, please call the Temple office at (925) 283-8575. For more details, visit https://temple-isaiah.org/values-in-action/angel-network/
Join the RAC-CA is building a statewide Climate Tzedek campaign to achieve policies that will fulfill our climate leadership goals as Californians, and grow our communities into centers of practical and spiritual resilience and support.
Temple Isaiah's VIA team is committed to strongly support advocacy for key climate change legislation at the local and state level. Links below will get you detailed information about upcoming and advocacy opportunities. THIS IS THE EXISTENTIAL CRISIS OF OUR LIFETIME. To learn more about the campaign and what we heard at the regional gathering, check out these presentations that were made at the gathering and join the effort to care for our planet before it’s too late.
