Community Action

Backpack Buddies

Many area children who struggle with food insecurity at home also struggle at school.  These students may not bring a snack with them to school and may not have enough food during the day.  Through the Backpack Buddies program, we are providing bulk snacks to Hanna Woods Elementary to fill this need.

Thank you to everyone who has donated food and their time to this special project.

How YOU can help:

1. Make a monetary donation to help purchase food.
2. Donate food items such as the ones listed below. Because we are providing items to a school they are strict about what food they can pass out.  If you have any question about what can be donated please ask!

• Individually Wrapped Saltine Crackers
• Goldfish whole grain
• Graham Crackers – individually wrapped
• Nutra Grain bars
• Granola Bars
• Cheeze-Itz, whole grain
• Zoo Animal Crackers

Please bring donations to Sari Levy with your questions at 314-434-3404.

Food Scrap Drop Off

The Garden of Eden at the JCC grows more than 5,000 pounds of produce exclusively for the clients of the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry. The Table to Garden Project collects food scraps on-site for the Garden’s compost bin. Finished compost is added to the garden’s beds and berms, saving the cost of buying compost and fertilizer while enriching the soil to grow heartier plants that yield healthier produce for families in need.

For a one-time fee of $18 (no monthly fees), your family can participate in this tikkun olam project. For more information and to learn how you can pick up a Table to Garden bucket and start dropping your food scraps at the Garden of Eden, contact Myra Rosenthal, Master Gardener and Chair of the Garden of Eden at the JCC, myrasuer@gmail.com. You will receive an instructional email with all the info you need to get started and ongoing support during your participation in the program. Bonus: You will be signed up for the Garden of Eden weekly electronic newsletter which chronicles the progress of the garden, its volunteers, and the compost project (unsubscribe at any time).

Mishebeirach Blankets

Do you crochet or knit? Our UH members create healing blankets that our clergy send to or deliver to congregants in need of healing.  You can either make them at home or we have a group that gathers on Tuesdays at 1:00 p.m. in the Kaplansky Center to socialize and knit/crochet together.  We even have someone who can teach you to crochet.  You can view a few lessons here.