What People Are Saying

"Having the Temple Beth Shalom volunteers come every couple of weeks over the school year has been a blessing for us here at Tuesday Meals...They have brought an unequaled energy to the program.  We serve between 80 and 120 guests on a weekly basis at the soup kitchen...[and] one commong link among all of the guests is that they are all in need of friendship and kindness.  The Temple Beth SHalom volunteers have connected with the guests week after week and filled this critical need.  The guests commented constantly about how much they loved having the kids there and what fun they were."

Jill Currier
Tuesday Meals Program Director
First Parish Church, Cambridge

"Over the past year, short conversations about likes and dislikes have matured into longer discussion regarding life, family, hopes and dreams.  Informal games have matured into yoga classes, brainstorming sessions for larger projects, and plans for future group and fundraising events.  What has matured most over the past two years however, is the dedication of Isaiah's teens to fight for justice for individuals with special needs.  The teens have not only cultivated incredible and meaningful relationships, but they have been exposed to the notion that they can in fact make a difference in terms of social justice."

Lila Cohen
Educator, Temple Isaiah of Lexington
MinuteMan ARC

"They are really excited to see the teens each day...I know that their love of reading has improved."

Sharon Andreed
Reverend Dr. Miachel E. Haynes Early Education Center

"The students are barely able to contain their excitement about spending time with the buddies...time spent with the JCC buddies encourages an eagerness and willingness on the part of the first graders to fully participate in literacy based activities...Every week, without fail my students express...the pride that they have in themselves in regard to what they have learned."

Carla Banks
East Zone Early Learning Center

"The most meaningful aspect of the trip was the incredible joy we brought to the village, specifically to the children. From the moment we arrived at Julio Cesar Pinto, we were met with smiles. It was immediately clear that our help was appreciated. The kids were excited to get to know us and we immediately jumped into games of soccer and jump rope. Clearly the language barrier that many of us had with the kids was not going to prevent us from interacting with them.... Never before in my life had I had such a profound impact on so many people as I did on this trip. It is truly a unique feeling of fulfillment that I now feel that I believe can only come from bringing short-term and long-term hope into the lives of those who really needed it."

David Feig
16 years old, Newton South High School
TELEM Track- Hunger and Homelessness through Prozdor
Honduras Trip

"The impact of the TELEM Temple Sinai teens on our residents has been remarkably positive! Our residents look forward with great anticipation to the students coming twice each month. Besides the wonderful programs in which Temple Sinai & Tower Hill have collaborated, visiting the same residents each time gives our residents a sense that the outside Jewish community hasn't forgotten them. The students visit with Jews & non-Jews alike. In short, they are warm affectionate & a credit to the Jewish community. The kids are indeed a ray of bright sunshine here! We're thrilled that they will conduct our Passover Model Seder this Sunday."

Shirley Stein
Activities Director, Tower Hill Center for Nursing and Rehabilitation

"The individuals we support at Minute Man Arc welcome and cherish meeting new faces. They work hard at their jobs during the day, but often come home to an unchanging routine in the evenings. The TELEM teens brought enthusiasm, talent, smiles and - most important - friendship to the residents in the homes we manage. Our residents looked forward to Tuesday evenings, when they could learn something new or just talk with a new friend. As the volunteer coordination, I know we can plan until we're blue in the face, but we can't legislate friendships. With their open hearts and willingness to accept the individuals in the Minute Man Arc community, the TELEM teens became a benchmark for volunteer programs throughout the agency. They are not only volunteers: they are friends."

Rebecca Lynch
Volunteer Coordinator, Minute Man ARC
Matched with Temple Isaiah