CALLS TO ACTION
M(i)LK and Cookies for a Cause/February 23
Rescheduled MLK Day Service Project
Do you enjoy baking cookies? Does It make you feel good to perform acts of kindness for others?
If you answered “YES” you’re the type of person we hope to see at our MiLK & Cookies for A Cause social action project on Sunday, February 23. (Our make-up day for our Jan. 19 MLK Day Service Project, which was postponed due to snow) Volunteers will gather at Beth David to bake, decorate, and pack cookies for distribution to people in our community who serve and sacrifice in order to help others. It’s our way to express appreciation to health care professionals and other caregivers, first responders, teachers, food pantry workers, and many others.
The next day (2/24), more volunteers will deliver the cookie boxes to organizations on the Main Line where the people we’re honoring work, including ElderNet, Gladwyne Library, Lankenau Hospital, Lower Merion Police Department, Narberth Ambulance….and more organizations are being added daily.
Not only is this a great way to honor Dr. King’s legacy, it’s also going to be a lot of fun—all ages are welcome. To learn more and sign up to help, visit https://bit.ly/BD-MiLK-COOKIES. We primarily need bakers, decorators, and drivers. Beth David is providing all the ingredients.
FYI, if you signed up to help on Jan. 19 and/or Jan. 20, please take a moment to sign up again using the link above; we couldn’t carry the original data forward.
HIAS PA presents “An Evening with Zeke Hernandez”
Beth David Electronics Recycling Initiative
Looking for a way to dispose of your old electronic devices in an environmentally safe way? Beth David has the solution.
We have embarked on a social action project in partnership with PAR Recycle Works. PAR, which stands for “People Advancing Reintegration,” is a nonprofit electronics recycler that helps protect the environment, while providing transitional employment, job skills training, and re-entry support to help formerly incarcerated men and women make a successful transition to life after prison. (Watch this video for more about PAR.)
One method PAR uses to accomplish this mission is to partner with local businesses and organizations, including synagogues and other houses of worship, to provide electronics recycling or e-cycling services. The partner collects eligible items at their location, and PAR collects and properly disposes of them. PAR accepts a wide variety of items as shown in the list below.
Beth David recently became a PAR Recycle Works partner. PAR has placed a collection bin in the lobby outside Beth David’s office. Synagogue members can simply “dump” their old electronics in the bin whenever the synagogue is open. PAR will come by on a regular basis, typically every 3 weeks, to collect the contents of the bin.
Items accepted for e-cycling are as follows:
· Computers & laptops, monitors are now permitted
· Phones & tablets
· Chargers & other power devices
· Speakers
· Cords & cables
· Motherboards
· Keyboards and mice
· Cable boxes/routers
· Printers
· AV equipment
· Gaming consoles and controllers
· Small appliances like food processors, toasters, blenders, dust busters, etc.
Note: PAR will destroy hard drives in computers. However, if you feel more comfortable, remove hard drives before dropping off your computers and laptops. In addition, standalone monitors are now accepted.
We hope Beth David members will take advantage of this convenient, responsible e-cycling service. By using PAR’s services not only will we be helping the environment, but we will also be helping provide formerly incarcerated men and women with a path to successful re-entry and second-chance employment. For questions or suggestions about this program, contact Jill Cooper or Bill Madway.
P.S. Members are also encouraged to see if the organization they work for would consider serving as a location for an e-cycling bin or hosting an e-cycling event.