Social Action

Many years ago, Congregation Beth Shalom made a commitment to the people of DeKalb County. Our social action has taken many forms over the years, as we often joined with other community groups to work for those in need. In recent years, the congregation has placed a priority on work to help those in our larger community who are in need of assistance putting food on the table. The Social Action Chair organizes volunteers and donations (of food, time, and money) in support of these efforts, sometimes working through the congregation’s Community Fund and DeKalb Food Pantry Fund. Here are our major projects:

• Volunteering at the Barb Food Mart, which serves the families in DeKalb County. We help with various aspects of food distribution. Our volunteers are dedicated, reliable, and appreciated. The training is easy and there is always a need for help. New participants are welcome anytime!
• Providing dinners to the residents of the Hope Haven homeless shelter. Our monthly Hope Haven dinners feed 50+ plus people. Often, two families work together to plan, shop, cook or cater and then deliver a hot nutritious meal for residents of the shelter. We offer menu suggestions, tips and funds to those helpers. It is a very rewarding experience. We have been faithfully honoring this commitment for many years.
• Raising funds for Thanksgiving Baskets, a CBS tradition. We ask for monetary donations so the Salvation Army can purchase food to provide a holiday dinner with all the trimmings. The Salvation Army distributes the food to families in need through out the county. We are very proud of the number of families that can have a happy holiday on us!

If you are interesting in getting involved in any of these programs, or in helping to provide support in other ways to needy members of our community (and beyond), please e-mail the Social Action Chair.