Summer Chesed Ideas

There are so many ways we can get involved with chesed, even in the hot summer months when school is out.  Here are 60 ideas to get you started.  If you have any to add to the list, we’d love to hear from you!  E-mail us at [email protected].

1. Donate money to your child’s camp to support camp scholarship programs.
2. Check in on your elderly neighbors throughout the summer and especially on really hot days.
3. Plant a garden at a local nursing home.
4. Organize a park clean up.
5. Offer your postal worker or anyone working outside a cold bottle of water.
6. Offer to water a neighbor’s lawn.
7. Donate tzedakah to a nature conservancy.
8. Get back in touch with nature and your family – have a family campout night.
9. Volunteer to do a special project at your child’s camp.
10. At the end of the summer, buy extra school supplies and donate them to an organization for children who cannot afford it.
11. Organize a car wash and donate the proceeds to the organization of your choice.
12. Teach someone how to swim.
13. Spend time with your annoying little brother.
14. Keep your carbon footprint low – ride a bike, walk or take public transportation to work.
15. Surprise a friend with an ice cream cone.
16. Take your dog for an extra long walk.
17. Host a family barbecue.
18. Offer to mow a neighbor’s lawn.
19. Instead of a usual vacation, give back to a community in need and take your family on a volunteer vacation.
20. Deliver home baked goods to your local fire or police station.
21. Surprise someone with flowers.
22. Send a letter and/or care package to a child you know at sleep away camp.
23. Show off your sunny personality – smile when you greet people.
24. When you go on a trip to the beach, be sure to leave the area as you found it.
25. Bring extra snacks to the park and share them with your friends.
26. Spend quality time with your family…go on a nature walk after dinner.
27. Have a garage sale and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.
28. When packing your items for sleep away camp, donate your old clothes to a worthy organization.
29. Plant a tree in Israel (or donate money to plant a tree in Israel).
30. At a little league baseball game, cheer for both teams.
31. Create and decorate a bird feeder.
32. Donate vegetables from your garden to a food pantry.
33. Surprise a friend with a picnic in the park.
34. Always carry sunscreen with you and share it.
35. Take time to appreciate the nature around you – go for a hike.
36. Invite friends to a backyard talent show – have the cost of admission be 1 non-perishable item that will be donated to a food pantry.
37. Volunteer at a family farm.
38. Organize a sports league for children with developmental disabilities in your community.
39. Be mindful of your water usage.  Be sure to turn your sink and faucets completely off when not in use.
40. Bring flowers from your garden to patients in the hospital.
41. Host a potluck outdoor Shabbat lunch for friends and family.
42. Blood centers typically run low on donors during the summer…roll up your sleeve and donate!
43. Donate your hair from your pre-summer haircut to an organization that creates wigs for women and children suffering from a variety of illnesses.
44. When staying at a hotel, ask the cleaning staff if you can take extra toiletries.  When you get home donate them to a local shelter.
45. Take a family vacation to Israel and volunteer for an organization you support.
46. The summer is a great time to get a new pet.  Adopt a dog, cat or other animal from your local animal shelter.
47. Sell lemonade and donate the proceeds to your favorite charity.
48. Go the distance.  Commit to running a 5K, marathon or triathlon in support of a cause that is important to you.
49. “Adopt” a grandparent from a local nursing home and visit weekly.
50. Pay it forward.  Go to a movie on a rainy day and pay for the person in line behind you.
51. Go to the park and teach a child how to play baseball.
52. Look online for an upcoming event in your community and find out what you can do to help organize it.
53. Hold the door for open for the person behind you.
54. Offer to sweep the floor of a nearby restaurant.
55. Donate your old winter clothes to a worthy cause.
56. Bake cookies and sell them, donating the proceeds to charity.
57. Take your neighbor’s dog for a walk.
58. Opt to walk to a nearby store and not drive to help cut down on air pollution.
59. Take initiative and cook dinner for your family.
60. Be courteous, kind and well-mannered when in a public setting.  You never know who you can have an impact on.