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UID:690@areyvut.org
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20200329T000100
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20200329T235900
DTSTAMP:20200330T134909Z
URL:https://areyvut.org/events/2020-virtual-national-mitzvah-day/
SUMMARY:2020 Virtual National Mitzvah Day
DESCRIPTION:Even if you are seeing this after March 29\, 2020 we encourage 
 you to still do this as the world can always use kindness and this can pos
 itively impact you and many others. You have nothing to lose and a lot to 
 gain.  \n\nWe were busy planning our 16th Annual National Mitzvah Day an
 d unfortunately due to COVID-19 all in person events and program throughou
 t the country- which would have likely been 20 that engaged thousands- are
  canceled or postponed. We have always partnered with Good Deeds Day and t
 his year is no exception.  The show must go on.  We will not let Corona
 virus get in the way of actively doing good and invite you to join us in a
  Virtual National Chesed Day and with your help we can make it Internation
 al. We express gratitude to Ezra Tuchman for the vision behind our first N
 ational Mitzvah Day and Shira Hammerman for her vision for this.\n\nHere i
 s how it works:\n\n 	Select an idea\, two\, three or 17 from the extensive
  list below.\n 	The list has ideas that we are all able to do now safely w
 hile maintaining social distancing\, our health and that of those around u
 s while still meaningfully helping and impacting others.\n 	Consider joini
 ng the Kindness Challenge - similar to the Ice Bucket Challenge- where you
  video you and your family doing an act of kindness and tag or mention 3 o
 ther people or families that you nominate to follow your lead.\n 	While we
  are launching this effort on our National Mitzvah Day\, we hope this camp
 aign will continue to actively add good to the world for the next few week
 s and beyond.\n 	We suggest completing the Kindness Challenge within 3 day
 s of being nominated.\n 	Post your video on social media and be sure to ta
 g @Areyvut and use #KindnessChallenge #GoodDeedsDay or #CoronaKindness in 
 your posts.\n 	You can send any pictures or video clips to us at info@arey
 vut.org.\n 	The day is dedicated in honor of the medical staff and first r
 esponders and their herculean efforts and in the merit of a speedy and com
 plete recovery for all those currently suffering from COVID-19.\n 	We enco
 urage you to use these resources well beyond today.\n\nVirtual National Ch
 esed Day Ideas\n\nAt this time each community has different rules\, regula
 tions and restrictions. You must follow any local mandates and only select
  items that meet your communities guidelines. Please bear in mind that the
  suggestions below are just that\, merely suggestions and you can come up 
 with your own ideas as well.\n\n 	Accept Help: Accept help from someone of
 fering a lending hand. Receiving kindness is just as important as giving i
 t forward.\n 	Actively Listen: Listen. Fight your urge to preemptively int
 errupt someone who comes to you for advice. Sometimes offering a person a 
 platform to speak is the greatest form of advice you can give them.\n 	Adv
 ice: Provide advice or guidance to someone who reaches out for help. Time 
 should never be an excuse.\n 	Anonymous: Send an anonymous donation to som
 eone you know who is struggling financially.\n 	Ask for Forgiveness: Make 
 a list of ways in which you have wronged others over the past week. Resolv
 e to spend the next week asking forgiveness for your actions.\n 	Be Yourse
 lf: Seems obvious but so often we are in constant pursuit of being someone
  else that we forget that who we are is absolutely AWESOME!\n 	Birthday Ca
 ll: Pick up the phone and call someone who is celebrating a birthday today
 . A Facebook post is great\, but the personal touch makes all the differen
 ce.\n 	Bless Your Child: Give your child a blessing. Mention something he 
 or she did this week that made you proud.\n 	Board Games: Bring gently use
 d board games and decks of cards to a local homeless shelter.\n 	Bone Marr
 ow: If you aren’t already in a Bone Marrow Registry find out how you can
  join a bone marrow registry. If you joined a Bone Marrow Registry in the 
 past\, confirm that your information is up-to-date and ask what else you c
 an do to help.\n 	Books: Go through your book shelves and collect books to
  donate to a local school\, library\, juvenile detention center or childre
 n’s hospital.\n 	Calm: Don’t raise your voice today.\n 	Canned Food: B
 uy one extra non-perishable food item and bring it to a homeless shelter\,
  food pantry\,\n 	Card Trick: Head to YouTube to learn a fun card trick an
 d spread some joy and amusement to others. Perhaps try it out on a grandpa
 rent.\n 	Cart: Return a cart for someone at the grocery store. A seemingly
  small act may make a big difference in someone's day.\n 	Cashier: Sincere
 ly say thank you to the cashier at a store. Even though it's their job\, t
 his simple gesture can replace a negative interaction they may have had an
 d give them reason to keep smiling.\n 	Change: Think of one thing in your 
 life that you would like to change and take steps today to make it happen!
 \n 	Choose Wisely: Before making a choice\, ask yourself if honesty and in
 tegrity are at the bedrock. Your name should never be for sale.\n 	Closets
 : Go through your closets and fill two bags with clothing that you no long
 er wear. In one bag put clothing that is perfectly fine—too small for yo
 u\, the wrong color\, just-not-you\, etc. In\nthe other put stained\, torn
 \, or ripped clothing. Give the first bag to a local organization that giv
 es clothing directly to those in need. Give the second bag to an organizat
 ion that work\nwith members of the textile industry to recycle everything 
 possible.\n 	Comfort Mourners: Make a special effort to console and assist
  those who have recently lost their loved ones.\n 	Compliment: Give a genu
 ine compliment to someone today and look them in the eye when you say it.\
 n 	Courageous: Be courageous. Stand up for what's right\, in business\, in
  school and in your day to day comings and goings.\n 	Dishes: Do the dishe
 s without being asked.\n 	Donate Blood: As the number of individuals with 
 Coronavirus increases\, fewer eligible donors will be able to give making 
 it extremely difficult for inventory to recover if we get to shortage leve
 ls. Healthy\, eligible individuals are encouraged to schedule a blood or p
 latelet donation appointment at RedCrossBlood.org today to help maintain a
  sufficient blood supply and avoid any potential shortages.\n 	Door: Hold 
 the door open for those who enter or leave after you.\n 	Each Person: Give
  a compliment to each person you encounter through your day. It can be as 
 simple as telling someone that you appreciate them or that they are beauti
 ful. Your words are a powerful gift to others.\n 	Eat Well: One of the sim
 plest ways to be kind to yourself is to eat well. Be conscious of what you
  consume and your body will thank you for it.\n 	Empathy: Practice empathy
  by being mindful of someone who's having a hard day. Take time to check o
 n them. Everyone needs a helping hand at times.\n 	Empower\; Empower someo
 ne you know to keep going despite the hardships that seem to follow them. 
 If you never give up\, you never fail.\n 	Engage: Step out of your comfort
  zone and engage in conversation with one person today you would normally 
 overlook.\n 	Eye Glasses: Donate old eyeglasses to an organization that re
 cycles them for the needy.\n 	Facts: Spread facts and promote the behavior
 s individuals should be doing to stop the spread of the virus.\n 	Family T
 ime: Time for real connection! Keep your cell phone out of site when you'r
 e out with friends or family. Let's focus on being present.\n 	First Respo
 nders: Deliver flowers or pizza to your local police or fire station as a 
 thank-you for a job well done.\n 	Flowers: Send someone a bouquet of flowe
 rs to brighten up their weekend.\n 	Foster Animals: Foster or adopt shelte
 r animals. Many shelters have already had to close to the public or cancel
  events\, and many others may need to do so in the coming days - meaning f
 ewer pets are being adopted out\, even as animals continue to come in. She
 lters want to move as many animals as possible off the premises and into f
 oster homes\, in case they’re hit with staffing shortages as employees a
 nd volunteers get sick or need to self-quarantine. Find a shelter or rescu
 e organization near you.\n 	Furniture: Donate furniture you no longer use 
 to charity.\n 	Gift: Gift your favorite book to a friend who can gain from
  it as you have.\n 	Handwritten Letter\; Write a handwritten letter (becau
 se it’s more personal than a typed letter) to a grandparent\, elderly re
 lative or friend. Share what is going on in your life and ask about their 
 life experiences.\n 	Happy: Choose to be happy. That's right\, happiness i
 s a choice we make each and every day and when truly achieved is never bas
 ed on circumstance.\n 	Happy Present: Surprise a friend with a small token
  of appreciation. It's not the value of the gift\, it's the knowledge that
  someone is thinking of you.\n 	Help Isolated Seniors: Check in with them 
 to see what they need\; then run errands\, deliver food and medication\, p
 ick up library materials (if your libraries are still open)\, etc. To comb
 at isolation make regular phone or video call visits. Make cards or write 
 letters\, send e-mails\, or social media messages to seniors in nursing ho
 mes or assisted living facilities who can’t have visitors.\n 	Humility: 
 Practice humility. Remember\, the skills we have are the tools we've been 
 given to make the world a better place.\n 	Impact: Write a thank you lette
 r to someone in your life who has impacted you for good. Don't let the amo
 unt of time that has passed discourage you from sending the letter along.\
 n 	Instruction: Make an introduction. Whether it be introducing two people
  you think can hit it off\, be great friends or work together. What a grea
 t way to show someone you have their interest at heart.\n 	Joke: Learn a g
 reat joke and share it with others you meet throughout the day. We can all
  use a bit more laughter in our lives.\n 	Joy: Take some time to think abo
 ut what brings you joy. Is it taking a walk in nature\, listening to the b
 irds sing\, spending time with friends and family\, or volunteering?\n 	Kn
 itting: Good at sewing or knitting? Donate homemade blankets to people in 
 need.\n 	Learn: Commit to learning something new this year and take the fi
 rst step in doing so.\n 	Listen: Take the time to listen to the thoughts a
 nd opinions of someone who believes differently than you do. Listening doe
 sn't mean you have to agree\, but simply to respect that others see things
  through their own lens.\n 	Loan: Loan someone money\, free of interest.\n
  	Local: Support a local business.\n 	Lookout: Be on the lookout for oppor
 tunities to perform good deeds and act upon them.\n 	Make a Meal: Make a m
 eal for someone in the community so that they can spend the day doing what
  they want.\n 	Make that Call: The one you've been putting off. Whether it
 's work related or personal\, take the time to be honest and connect with 
 that someone in your life you've been avoiding.\n 	Make-up: Collect unused
  make-up\, perfume and other cosmetics for a center for abused women.\n 	M
 edicine: Offer to pick up medication for someone.\n 	Mental Health: Protec
 t the mental health of your family\, friends\, and neighbors. Rather than 
 telling someone not to worry\, consider asking what they are doing for sel
 f-care. And stay in touch if you can\, “because when we sit with our tho
 ughts all by ourselves\, they can spiral.”\n 	Merge: Allow another drive
 r to merge into your lane.\n 	Neighbor: Perform a surprise act of kindness
  for a neighbor. Drop off a bouquet of flowers\, bake some cookies\, shove
 l their walkway\, or simply roll out their garbage can on garbage day.\n 	
 Neighborhood Clean Up: Take a large garbage bag and a pair of plastic glov
 es. Go for a walk in your neighborhood and collect garbage as you go.\n 	N
 ew: Take a leap and do one thing today that is new\, exciting and scares y
 ou just a bit (in the positive sense\, of course!).\n 	No You First: Let s
 omeone who has fewer items than you do go ahead of you at the supermarket.
 \n 	Old Friends: Reach out to an old friend and reminisce about a time you
  both shared together. Memories can recreate special moments and set the p
 ath for new ones.\n 	Outlook: Turn one negative situation into a positive 
 one. Being stuck in traffic gives you an opportunity to work on your patie
 nce. Remember that anything can be positive depending on the way you look 
 at it.\n 	Pets: Care for a neighbor’s pet and/or offer to take your frie
 nd’s dog for a walk.\n 	Pet Food: Collect pet food for an animal shelter
 .\n 	Philanthropist: Become a philanthropist by making a gift to an organi
 zation that is underfunded and take an active role in their work.\n 	Plant
 : To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow. Plant a garden or grow your
  own herbs. No matter if you live in a house or an apartment\, by planting
  some greens you will reduce your carbon footprint\, enhance your diet and
  make our world a healthier place to live.\n 	Positivity: Share something 
 positive that has happened in your life over the past week with a friend o
 r family member. Here's the fun part\, ask the person you share with to sh
 are as well. Celebrate the happy moments.\n 	Postcards: Send 5 postcards o
 f gratitude to friends\; thanking them for their compassion and support.\n
  	Pray: Take a minute to pray for those suffering from COVID-19 or in need
  of healinh.\n 	Presents: Give a baby\, birthday or wedding gift you owe.\
 n 	Publicly: Publicly share an act of kindness someone has done for you. I
 t just may inspire others to seek out opportunities for kindness.\n 	Quiet
 : Quiet the mind. Take some time with yourself. In the silences we tend to
  find resolution.\n 	Resist the Urge: When you have the urge to gossip abo
 ut someone\, say something positive about him or her instead.\n 	Sandwiche
 s: Make sandwiches to give to a local shelter\, soup kitchen or agency.\n 
 	See People: Make an effort to see people for who they are not just what t
 hey can do for you.\n 	Share: Focus on sharing. Whether it be sharing a ta
 lent\, a skill\, your snack\, your time or a life experience. You only tru
 ly have what you give to others.\n 	Shopping: Do someone's shopping. A lit
 tle goes a long way for people unable to leave the house.\n 	Shower: Showe
 r those you love with appreciation. Don't miss the opportunity to express 
 a thank you to people who love and support you.\n 	Sidewalk Art: Spread ch
 eer and positive messages in your neighborhood by creating sidewalk chalk 
 art.\n 	Speak Kindness. Be mindful of the words you share and the tone in 
 which you share them. Ask yourself\, how can my words speak life into the 
 heart of another.\n 	Spirit: Do something today that will help strengthen 
 your spirit.\n 	Stand Up: Fight xenophobia and racism around the origin/sp
 read of the virus. Call out any and all such racism.\n 	Stranger: Do somet
 hing kind for a stranger. Offer your kindness with no strings attached and
  no need to be recognized.\n 	Storytelling: Read a book - virtually- as no
 thing for kids is more comforting than story time.\n 	Take a Minute: Take 
 a minute to appreciate all that is around you. Nothing is promised and app
 reciating each moment is a great way to ensure you don't miss a thing life
  has to offer.\n 	Thank You Notes: Doctors\, nurses and first responders a
 re working tirelessly now on the front lines fighting COVID-19. Take a min
 ute to say thank you. Send them thank you notes\, cards and pictures. You 
 can send them via regular mail to your local hospital.\n 	Think: Remember 
 to think before you speak. Your words have the ability to change the world
  and make a profound impact.\n 	Tonight: Plan a fun filled family night\; 
 board games\, movie or karaoke.\n 	Top 10 List: Create a list of the top t
 en things you are grateful for in your life right now. Leave it somewhere 
 you will see it each day.\n 	Toys: Encourage your children to donate used 
 toys and games to a local charity and ask them to help deliver the items.\
 n 	Trait: Choose one positive trait you want to be known for and focus on 
 living it today.\n 	Troops: Send a care package to deployed troops\, veter
 ans\, or wounded soldiers. Write a thank-you letter and include some food 
 (no homemade or canned food allowed).\n 	Tzedakah Box: Make a tzedakah box
  - a charity box - and place it in at a convenient place near the door. Wh
 enever you come home\, put the coins left in your pocket or purse in the t
 zedakah box. When the box is full\, bring it to the specified charity. If 
 you have one that isn't yet decorated\, decorate it.\n 	Volunteer: Volunte
 er virtually for an hour at an organization of your choice.\n 	Welcome Bas
 ket\; Make a welcome basket for a new child or new family in town. This ca
 n include useful telephone numbers\, a neighborhood guide and food.\n 	You
 : Carve out time for yourself. Find something that brings you joy\, whethe
 r it's painting\, reading or just sitting quietly for 10 minutes.\n 	Your 
 Family: Write a thank you note to your parents\, spouse\, sibling\, child\
 , mentor or anyone who has helped you.\n\nFor media inquiries or more info
 rmation\, please contact Daniel Rothner at daniel@areyvut.org.
CATEGORIES:A Kindness A Day,Chesed Fairs,Conference,Early Childhood
 Programs,Family Volunteering,Jewish Teen Philanthropy,Mitzvah
 Clowning,Mitzvah Projects,National Mitzvah Day,Presentations &
 Workshops,Summer Programs,Tikkun Olam Tours
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