How A Trip to Israel Inspired Volunteerism

January 31, 2022

How A Trip to Israel Inspired Volunteerism

By JF&CS Marketing

Ten years ago, Amy Fox went on a life-changing free trip to Israel with a group of adults passionate about becoming leaders in the Atlanta Jewish community. During her trip, which was sponsored by the Frank Mission, she also went to Poland to visit Krakow and Auschwitz.

“The trip helped me realize I had a bigger role to play in my community when it comes to volunteering and giving back,” Amy said of her experience.

Her desire to volunteer then led her to JF&CS, where she helped with both the food pantry and Aviv Older Adult Services. Her work with the agency led to meaningful connections and opportunities for both herself and her family.

“I love the way that JF&CS serves as a champion for Holocaust survivors, and I am thankful to be able to help in any way,” Amy said. “JF&CS is very near and dear to my heart because of all they do for our community.”

In 2019, Amy got together with other volunteers at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) to bake cookies and create “cookie care packages” for Holocaust survivors. In a previous year, she joined a group of families from around the community, including her own family, to create blankets at Congregation B’nai Torah. Both times, she and the other volunteers were able to hear a Holocaust Survivor speak.

Her most recent volunteering involves delivering meals to Holocaust survivors, which she started at the beginning of the pandemic after seeing a post about it in her Frank Mission Project alumni group on Facebook. Her alumni group is always looking for opportunities to give back to the community, and for Amy, this came at the right time.

“My son was home from college, and, like most teenagers, wanted to sleep in,” she said humorously. “But I convinced him to come with me during one of my delivery runs. We were delivering Hanukkah baskets to Survivors around the holiday season, and we actually got to meet one of them during the delivery run. It was such a great experience for him and me. We got to make a wonderful memory together, and to make a connection with someone in our community.”

Amy has plans to continue volunteering with Aviv and JF&CS whenever she can, and encourages others to as well.

“I think the world of JF&CS,” Amy said. “Everyone should learn more about it and the opportunities they have to help their community. For me, community is about supporting, connecting, and being able to provide for those who are less fortunate. JF&CS does all that and more.”

To learn more about the services JF&CS offers the community, and to see what volunteer opportunities are available, please visit the buttons below.