Category Archives: Caring Community

Caring Community, Social Action

MCJC Collects Winter Coats for Those Who Need Them

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MCJC is collecting winter coats, unused or in good condition, for adults and children. The coats will be distributed to low income families living in Woodstock and neighboring communities as part of the Woodstock Area Community Ministries 2018 Winter Coat Drive. 

 

Look for a can marked “2018 Winter Coat Drive” in the MCJC vestibule to place your unused or good condition winter coats that MCJC family members no longer wear.  

 

The 2018 Winter Coat Drive will end Monday, November 5. Please address questions regarding this community service project to MCJC social action chairperson, Bruce Weiss, at 815-338- 2721  or  socialaction@mcjconline.org.  

Social Action

First PADS Dinner 2018-2019 season Wednesday, Oct. 24

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Our first MCJC-sponsored PADS dinner of the 2018-2019 PADS season is Wednesday, October 24, 2018, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm at Redeemer Lutheran Church, 1320 Dean Street in Woodstock.

Five to six individuals are needed to help serve the meal (6:00 pm to 8:00 pm). Please contact Bruce Weiss or Amy Yoslov-Llanetta if you are able to help serve the meal. You can get in touch with us about preparing or serving via socialaction@mcjconline.org.

For more information about PADS, Click Here. To find out about volunteering, please contact Bruce Weiss, MCJC Social Action Chairperson, at socialaction@mcjconline.org.

Thanks so much for your help with this important community service project.

 Bruce Weiss, MCJC Social Action Committee Chairperson

Caring Community, Social Action

MCHENRY COUNTY CROP HUNGER WALK

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Help “End Hunger One Step At A Time.” Join your MCJC friends and family and participate in the 2018 McHenry County Crop Hunger Walk, scheduled for September 30, 2018.

The MCJC Social Action Committee is partnering with the MCJC Religious School in this year’s McHenry County Crop Hunger Walk.

The Walk is scheduled for 1:00 pm Sunday, September 30 at the First Methodist Church, 236 W. Crystal Lake Avenue in Crystal Lake. There are two walks: one is a four-mile walk, and the other is a one-mile family fun walk. There will be family activities along the one-mile route and at the church after the walk. Beverages and snacks will be provided.

25% of the money raised from the McHenry County Crop Hunger Walk will go to designated local food pantries and 75% of the proceeds raised benefit hunger, clean water, and emergency relief worldwide.

Members of the MCJC community who would like to participate in this community service project should plan to attend an organization meeting at MCJC on Sunday, August 26. Watch your next E-Announcements for the time.

Participation in this event involves not only walking the day of the event but also raising money by obtaining donation pledges from friends, relatives, neighbors, etc.

If you have questions about participating in the McHenry County Crop Hunger Walk, please contact Bruce Weiss via email, socialaction@mcjconline.org, or via phone, 815-338-2721. You can also contact Davina Kelly 847-659-8285.

Caring Community, Social Action

MCJC “ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY” AND “ADOPT-A-TRAIL” PROGRAMS

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From April 1 until the first snowfall, MCJC is responsible for picking up litter twice a month along Ridgefield Road, from  Country Club Road to U.S. Route 14, and along the U.S. Route bike trail between Ridgefield Road and Lucas Road.

Usually three to four five-gallon cans of litter are picked up along Ridgefield Road, and about one five-gallon can is picked up along the bike trail.

Bruce Weiss is looking for volunteers to help him with this community service project. If you are able to help, please contact Bruce at either 815-338- 2721 or socialaction@mcjconline.org.

Caring Community, Social Action

Corners of Our Field Food Drive 5779

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As is our custom at MCJC, the High Holy Days will mark the start of our “Corners of Our Fields” food drive in conjunction with Mazon: A Jewish Response to Hunger.

This year we will collect food for McHenry High School and personal care items for the Old Firehouse Assistance Center in Woodstock. The “Food for Thought” program at McHenry High School is “providing hope and dignity to children by discreetly supplying additional food to students in need.”

Please pick up grocery bags as you leave services on Rosh Hashanah, and return the bag(s) on or shortly after Yom Kippur.

These community agencies will be grateful for all donations. Below are typical items the pantry would appreciate. Please check to be sure items are not near expiration dates.  A list of highest need items will be stapled to the grocery bag, and we’ll update that list, if necessary, in the weekly E-Announcements.

Toddah rabbah for your donations.

Items Needed for MCHS’s Food for Thought Program:

  • Canned chicken, tuna, or salmon
  • Canned vegetables
  • Canned fruit
  • Canned soup
  • Peanut butter
  • Hot or cold cereals
  • Health snacks (ex. granola bars)
  • Grains (ex. pasta or rice)

In a separate bag, please:

Personal Care Products for the Old Firehouse Assistance Center:

  • Shampoo
  • Liquid Soap
  • Toothbrushes
  • Toothpaste
  • Deodorants
  • Shaving Supplies
  • Feminine Hygiene Products
  • Toilet Paper & Paper Towels
  • Laundry Care Items

For additional information, feel free to visit the websites:

http://mchsactivities.wixsite.com/foodforthoughtmchs and

www.facebook.com/OldFirehouseAssistanceCenter

Caring Community, Social Action

MCJC-sponsored PADS dinners for 2017-2018 an amazing success

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The MCJC-sponsored PADS dinners for the 2017-2018 winter season at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Woodstock were an amazing success. They were a success because of all the hard work put in by the following MCJC members: Gene Lindow, Amy, Ben, & BJ Llaneta, Marian & Bruce Weiss, Leslie Cook, Esther Kaplan, Ellen Morton, Brian Silver, Lisa Chiodo, Iza Celewicz, Briana & Elsa Salgado, Kim Solomon Dooley, Rachel Bailenson, Eileen Franks, and Elli Emmons.

The Woodstock Area Community Ministries (WACM,) which oversees the PADS dinner program for the McHenry County homeless, is very grateful for MCJC’s participation in this important community service project. MCJC has an outstanding reputation as a caring congregation among the members of the WACM  community.

Caring Community, Habitat, Happenings, Social Action

Habitat for Humanity

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Habitat for Humanity believes that everyone should have a decent, safe, and affordable place to live. We build and repair houses all over the world using volunteer labor and donations.

To aid in this, the MCJC Social Action Committee coordinates volunteer efforts with the local McHenry County Habitat for Humanity group. We volunteer on Wednesdays at the work site (locations change depending on build schedules). No construction experience is required, only the desire to help.

We are supervised by experienced personnel. All tools and safety equipment are supplied by Habitat. For a look at some of the projects we are currently involved in, please Click Here.

If you would like to volunteer, please contact Howard Frank at habitat@mcjconline.org.

Habitat For Humanity, McHenry County accepts monetary donations of new and gently used building materials and household goods at their ReStore resale store located at 2205 S. Eastwood Drive in Woodstock.

Social Action

Thank you all PADS dinner volunteers for an amazing 2018 season

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The April 25 MCJC-sponsored PADS dinner fed 35 homeless guests and seven PADS volunteers.

The FOOD PROVIDERS for this dinner were:  Gene Lindow (barbecue chicken),  Leslie Cook (barley bean vegetable soup),  Amy and Ben Llaneta (potato salad),  Ellen Morton (green beans),  Esther Kaplan (salad),  Iza Celewicz (rolls), Kim Solomon Dooley (brownies), and Marian Weiss (chocolate cake,  apple sauce raisin cake, and chocolate chip cookie squares).

The FOOD SERVERS for the April 25 dinner were:  Amy and BJ Llaneta,  Kim Solomon Dooley,  Iza Celewicz,  Briana and Elsa Salgado, Brian Silver, and Bruce Weiss.

The PADS dish washing volunteers failed to show up the night of April 25, so the following MCJC PADS dinner team members pitched in to help wash the dinner dishes:  Kim Solomon Dooley,  Iza Celewicz,  Briana and Elsa Salgado, Brian Silver, and Bruce Weiss.

The April 25 MCJC-sponsored PADS dinner is the last PADS dinner for the 2017-2018 winter season.  The MCJC-sponsored PADS dinners for the 2017-2018 winter season were an amazing success —   and they were an amazing success because of the hard work all of you put into them.

I am MCJC’s representative to the Woodstock Area Community Ministries (WACM) which oversees the PADS dinner program. I know first hand how grateful WACM is for MCJC’s participation in this important community service program.  MCJC has an outstanding reputation as a caring congregation among the members of WACM for its active involvement in community service projects.

Thank you to all who participated in the 2017-2018 season!

Caring Community, Habitat

Habitat: My First Home Dedication

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By Howard Frank

On Feb. 24 I went to my first Home Dedication for Habitat for Humanity. The new owners of the home in McHenry are a single father, Matt, and his five year old son. It was a wonderful occasion,
seeing the son running around and proudly showing off the house
off to anyone that he could.

On another note, I spoke to one of the managers of the new Restore Center for Habitat (2205 S. Eastwood) regarding volunteer opportunities. He indicated that they are always looking for helping
hands to do a myriad of jobs at the center.

Jobs range from cashier, shelf stocker, product tester, material sorter, and any other task that might be required at any retail operation.

Anyone interested should contact Mark or Dan (managers) at 815-334-0500.  Any questions, please email me at habitat@mcjconline.org.

Social Action

MCJC ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY LITTER PICK-UP COMMUNITY SERVICE PROJECT

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MCJC is a participant in the McHenry County Adopt-A-Highway litter pick-up community service program. MCJC’s adopted highway is Ridgefield Road, between U.S Route 14 and Country Club Road.

Over 11 five-gallon cans of litter were picked up on Friday, March 23. This was more than normal because it was the first litter pick-up after the winter season. Normally, three to five-five gallon cans of litter are picked up on “litter clean-up day.”

The first and third Fridays of the month are “litter pick-up” days. It generally requires thirty to forty-five minutes of work time. Bruce Weiss is responsible for picking up the litter on behalf of MCJC’s participation in this community service project.

If you would like to help Bruce and participate in this community service project, please contact him at 815-338-2721 or socialaction@mcjconline.org.