During a non-pandemic year, December 25 evokes holiday thoughts of delicious celebrations, presents, and family. For many Jews, the joke is that we go to the movies and eat Chinese food. Not at the Merage JCC.

Seven years ago, JCC Cares, a social action committee at the Merage JCC in Irvine, launched a December 25 Day of Service with a variety of volunteer projects for families and individuals. In our first year, 150 volunteers participated, cooking holiday brunches for shelters, delivering wrapped toys, and baking for first responders. In 2019, 600 volunteers got busy creating holiday meals and many memories for over 46 nonprofit projects.

Volunteers clamored to make a difference, and we fully expected our volunteers to hit 750 in 2020. Unfortunately, the world had other ideas. Much like everybody, our planning committee of 20 stalwart volunteers was pivoted and redesigned this signature event. We got creative. Instead of one day of service, we spread out opportunities and added new projects that were not always available on Christmas Day. From one day, we planned a month of service, launching December 25—Kindness the J Way.

Throughout December, we organized 25 volunteer opportunities, and for those more comfortable with virtual activities, we offered online 25 acts of kindness, as well as an Amazon list of goodies that helped us fill nearly 800 hygiene kits and treat bags.

Nancy Chase, JCC Cares co-founder, shares “Being able to help those in need while at the same time giving people the opportunity to safely volunteer is heartwarming especially during these challenging times. So glad we could change it up and still deliver and drop off meals (instead of serving) this year and still be able to serve over 800 people.”

Longtime partner, Caroline Horstmann, Illumination Foundation, a county-wide shelter system providing for families experiencing homelessness, shared “Our clients feel so cared for this holiday season. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for your generosity, kindness, time and compassion. What a difficult year, but with your acts of service, you have made it a whole lot brighter!”

The testimonials abound, but numbers tell the story the best: 300 JCC Cares volunteers:

filled 652 stockings with hygiene items and treats

wrapped and dispensed 900 toys

delivered 600 homemade treats to seniors

shared 48 dozen home-baked goods with guests at shelters

collected 32 units of blood for the Red Cross

packed 492 boxes of food for low-income families

cooked holiday brunches for over 800 people

15-year old Jacob has volunteered with his family for six years. Why? He emphatically states, “because we can.”

2021 promises to be bigger and brighter. However, people—seniors, families, veterans, children—in our community will continue to need support and compassion. We look forward to hosting our once-a-month activities and ending the year with a full month of activities “Kindness the J Way”!