More than 300 volunteers will take part in this year’s Mitzvah Day on Sunday, Oct. 29; last year’s “day of caring” was the largest single day of giving in the history of the event, which has been sponsored by the Jewish Community Center of Western Monmouth County since 2000.

Shelley Feingold of Marlboro, the operations and outreach director of the JCC, located in Manalapan, has been coordinating the event since its inception and will be at the helm again this year. Feingold and the corps of volunteers will devote their time and energy to a series of worthy causes throughout the day.

The Mitzvah Day volunteers are associated with participating organizations that include, in addition to the JCC, the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization of New Jersey, headquartered in Linden; Congregation Ahavat Achim, Howell; Congregation B’nai Israel, Rumson; Congregation Brothers of Israel, Long Branch; Congregation Kol Am, Freehold; Temple Rodeph Torah, Marlboro; the Freehold Jewish Center; the Marlboro Jewish Center; the Jewish Family and Children’s Service of Greater Monmouth County; Young Israel, Temple Beth Ahm, and Temple Shalom, all in Aberdeen; Temple Beth Miriam, Elberon; Temple Beth El, Oakhurst; Congregation Sons of Israel and Temple Beth Shalom, both in Manalapan; Monmouth Reform Temple in Tinton Falls; Temple Beth Torah in Ocean Township; and the Joint Chaplaincy of the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County, the Ruth Hyman JCC, and Shore Hebrew High School, all in Deal.

Donations for 2006 are expected to surpass the outpouring of generosity of previous years, Feingold said. Last year, 85 pints of blood were collected, more than 30 bone marrow applications were processed, and 4,000-plus pounds of clothing were collected and distributed to Goodwill and the county’s Family Resource Center. In addition, several hundred pounds of toys were donated, and more than 5,000 pounds of food were collected and distributed to the Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune.

“And we’ll do even better this year,” said Feingold. “The Jewish community in Monmouth County has never let us down.”

Blood drive locations include Temple Beth Ahm, Temple Rodeph Torah, and Temple Beth Torah. Monmouth Reform Temple will schedule donor appointments with the Central Jersey Blood Center in Shrewsbury. The Gift of Life Bone Marrow Foundation, headquartered in Boca Raton, Fla., will be accepting bone marrow applications at Monmouth Reform Temple and Temple Beth Ahm.

There are seven locations where donors can drop off items for the Mitzvah Day clothing drive: Congregation Ahavat Achim, Congregation Sons of Israel, the Marlboro Jewish Center, Monmouth Reform Temple, the Ruth Hyman JCC, Temple Beth Ahm, and Temple Beth Shalom.

The clothing will be given to a variety of nonprofit agencies, including Goodwill of New Jersey and the Rescue Mission of Trenton, Feingold said.

The day’s toy drive will benefit the Emmanuel Children’s Cancer Foundation in Neptune, the Boys and Girls Club of Monmouth County, and CentraState Medical Center’s pediatric department in Freehold.

Toys may be dropped off at the Freehold Jewish Center, Monmouth Reform Temple, Temple Beth Ahm, and the Ruth Hyman JCC. Nonperishable food items will be collected at the Marlboro Jewish Center, Young Israel, and Temple Beth Miriam.

Volunteers will also be stationed at the following supermarkets: A&P in East Brunswick, Foodtown in Oakhurst and Red Bank; Acme in Marlboro and Lincroft; ShopRite in Aberdeen, Marlboro, Freehold, and Neptune; and Super Stop & Shop in Aberdeen.

Donations to the Books for Israel Project, which helps Israeli students and their teachers cope with a chronic shortage of English-language books, will be accepted at Temple Beth Ahm. Other school supplies for students in Israel’s Arad region will be collected at Congregation Brothers of Israel.

Personal items for American soldiers stationed far from home will be collected at Congregation Ahavat Achim.
When Feingold began working on Mitzvah Day in 2000, she predicted the project’s growth and expansion.

“In our first year, we had about a dozen participants, but the project generated a great deal of interest,” she said. “By 2002, 17 schools and synagogues and both JCCs had joined in, and by 2005, we had 23 synagogues and schools, as well as the two JCCs.”

The project originally concentrated on food and clothing drives. However, participating organizations began suggesting other areas for consideration or expansion, Feingold said.

“That’s how the number of drop-off locations was increased and that’s where the ideas for a blood and bone marrow drive and book drive originated,” she recalled. “As the project evolved, more organizations joined in, and we have continued to branch out.”

And the day-long event has lived up to its name, she added.

“Jewish heritage teaches that the world can be transformed into a better place by people who want to help others and enhance the communities in which they live,” Feingold said. “I think all those who continue to volunteer their time on this special day find that their lives are enriched every bit as much as those who benefit from the Mitzvah Day collections. The enthusiasm is contagious and it’s a beneficial experience for everyone.”

Additional information about Mitzvah Day activities and collection times is available from the Western Monmouth JCC at 732-683-9300.