Princeton NJ Non-Profit Press Releases

Teens Making a Difference in their Community

Recently, more than 13,500 Jewish teens from around the world came together to serve their communities and make a difference. Jewish Family & Children's Service of Greater Mercer County, along with teens from the Jewish Community Youth Foundation, Gesher Lekesher, Beth El East Windsor's Pre-Kadima, Kadima, USY, Bucks USY and JFCS Teen Volunteers participated in J-Serve Princeton Mercer Bucks, International Day of Jewish Youth Service, Areyvut National Mitzvah Day and Good Deeds Day.

The teen volunteers took part in different projects at Beth El Synagogue in East Windsor, Adath Israel Congregation in Lawrenceville and The Jewish Center of Princeton. More than 100 participants enjoyed creating 100 craft kits for the children of Chai Lifeline to entertain hospitalized children. Teens also baked cookies for Café Europa, a social program for Holocaust Survivors through Jewish Family & Children’s Service. Participants made casseroles and assembled wrapped utensils to be donated to the Trenton Area Soup Kitchen and Cornerstone Community Kitchen. Participants created fleece blankets for Project Linus, decorated baseballs for soldiers through Billy’s Baseballs. Teens worked with Beth El’s Pre-Kadima third through fifth grade students and led interactive ice breakers.

Afterward, they put together welcome toiletry bags for HomeFront. At Adath Israel, Marianne Ahern, President of Glad Dogs Nation assisted teens in sewing squeakers into more than 100 upcycled stuffed animals that will be given to shelter dogs.

Participants also created 75 activity kits for Better Beginnings Child Development Center and Womanspace, Inc. For more information about volunteer opportunities at Jewish Family & Children’s Service of Greater Mercer County, please contact Eden Aaronson at 609-987-8100 or edena@jfcsonline.org.