Volunteer at the Bender JCC
The gift of time, talent, and expertise is one of the most important ways to support your Center. The Bender JCC is in constant need of enthusiastic volunteers. Volunteering at the Center furthers your connection to the community and provides an invaluable network of resources to help others.
To become a volunteer, please contact Stacy Katz-Olivera at 301-348-3889 or solivera@benderjccgw.org. Here is a sample list of ongoing and seasonal opportunities:
- Join the J Rides Movement – Become a Volunteer Driver. Help our seniors age in place. As a volunteer, you will choose your schedule, route and passengers. To sign up and become a volunteer for Bender JCC VillageRides email adults@benderjccgw.org or call 301-348-3889
- Teen Volunteers – The Bender JCC of Greater Washington is an approved site for Student Service Learning Hours (SSL Hours). Please contact Samantha Greenwald at 301-348-3767 or sgreenwald@benderjccgw.org for more information on various Teen Volunteer opportunities.
- Senior Health Assistant – (ongoing, as needed) Health care technicians are needed to administer blood pressure testing.
- Box Office Attendant – (ongoing) Serve as a box office attendant by taking tickets and answering questions for cultural arts events.
- Isadore & Bertha Gudelsky Exceptional Swim Program Volunteer – (September – May, Saturday’s at the Bender JCC between 10:30 AM and 12:30 PM) Created for children, teens, and adults with physical disabilities, the time-honored program provides one-on-one support for participants with aquatic-based exercise and/or swim instruction under the direction of a physical therapist. For more information, contact Elon Walter at 443-286-9364 or situbuw@aol.com.
- Help serve senior adults nutritious meals through the Selma Sweetbaum Senior Satellite Program, or share your expertise and engage the participants with presentations and activities.
- Teach English as a Second Language (ESL) classes.
- Teach an “Adult Living & Learning” (ALL) Class – Share your expertise on a subject with others.
- Celebrate with the community by volunteering for special events:
- Israel Fest – May 2019
- Chanukah Party – Early December 2018
- Family Fun Day – December 25, 2018
- Good Deeds Day – April 7, 2019
- Sr. Art Show – April 2019
- Hamentaschen Sales – March 18-22, 2019
- 10th Coming of Age Health & Wellness Expo at Leisure World – May 23, 2019
Volunteer beyond the Bender JCC
Bender JCC’s core values include making the world a better and more just place (Tikkun Olam) and helping those in need through acts of loving kindness (Gemilut Chasidim). As a result, the Bender JCC chose Interfaith Works as our social action partner so we can immediately begin to make a difference in our local community.
Did you know over 72,000 Montgomery County residents live in poverty and 19,757 of these residents are children? The mission of Interfaith Works is to pursue social justice with an emphasis on identifying and meeting the needs of the poor by leading and engaging Montgomery County’s faith communities in service, education, and advocacy.
Let’s Help Montgomery County Women Lift Themselves Out of Poverty!
Our target project is the Interfaith Works Women’s Center (formerly Wilkins Avenue Women’s Assessment Center), which provides emergency shelter, meals and case management to more than 250 women annually through a 65-bed facility and acts as an intake and assessment center for all single adult homeless women in Montgomery County.
How Can You Help Right Now?
- Get Involved – Participate in a current partner-project at the Bender JCC
- Volunteer Directly — Check out the latest volunteer opportunities at Interfaith Works and contact Amy Guberman, Bender JCC’s Social Action Chair at (301) 769-8227 to sign up.
- Donate Urgent Items – Click on the Interfaith Works wish list.
Past Bender JCC Projects with Interfaith Works:
Israeli Scouts and the Bender ECC completed a collection effort called “Squeaky Clean” for toiletry items (April 2017)
Good Deeds Day this year included making “breakfast on the go” packs (April 2017)
Bender JCC donated 2 refurbished desktop computers so the residents of the Women’s Center have computers to use for email and job searching (March 2017)
Bender JCC provided guest passes for the women to come swim/exercise (March 2017)
Cycle for Good – proceeds were donated to Interfaith Works (December 2016)
Bender JCC Staff and board collected food to make 14 holiday meal baskets for Thanksgiving (November 2016)
Bender JCC Staff volunteered to serve meals at the Wilken’s Women’s Assessment Center (July 2016)
Other Volunteer Opportunities:
