More than 300 volunteers fanned out across the county Sunday, Oct. 29, for Mitzvah Day 2006, helping the needy and vulnerable in an event that surpassed the expectations of organizers.

The “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 in Manalapan since 2000.

“We received a tremendous response from the community,” said Shelley Feingold, JCC operations and outreach director. “There was the spirit of tikun olam [repairing the world] throughout Monmouth County.”

Feingold, who lives in Marlboro, has been coordinating the event since its 2000 inception. She and the corps of volunteers devoted their time and energy to a series of worthy causes throughout the day.

More than 200 bags of kosher food were collected and given to the Jewish Family and Children’s Service in Asbury Park, three trucks were filled with warm winter clothing that was given to Goodwill of New Jersey, more than 35 pints of blood were collected at the Central Jersey Blood Center in Shrewsbury, and more than 5,000 pounds of food was given to the FoodBank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties in Neptune.

In addition, 16 people registered with the Gift of Life Bone Marrow Registry, and several hundred toys and books were presented to the CentraState Pediatric Department in Freehold. Hundreds of toys and books were also given to the Emmanuel Cancer Foundation, New Jersey’s no-cost, in-home support agency for pediatric cancer patients.

Several hundred toiletry items were collected to distribute to American soldiers through Operation A.R.M.S., and bags of calculators, notebooks, and other school supplies were collected for schools in Arad, Israel. Arad is the Jewish Federation of Greater Monmouth County’s Partnership 2000 community.

“The huge response indicates that working together pays off,” Feingold said. “We’re all so happy with the results. And we’ll be back next year — count on it.”

---

TAKING PART in Mitzvah Day activities were volunteers associated with the JCC of Western Monmouth County; the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization of New Jersey, headquartered in Linden; Congregation Ahavat Achim in Howell; Congregation B’nai Israel in Rumson; Congregation Brothers of Israel in Long Branch; Congregation Kol Am in Freehold; Temple Rodeph Torah in Marlboro; the Freehold Jewish Center and 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 in Elberon; Temple Beth El in 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.