Social Action Programs

Here are many of the volunteer opportunities organized by Or Atid.  You can participate as an individual, or choose an opportunity that works for the whole family. Apply the insights of Jewish tradition to helping those in need and repairing the world one day at a time. 

Family Promise Metrowest with Peace Lutheran

Or Atid, in partnership with our next door neighbors Peace Lutheran Church, host homeless families for two consecutive weeks, twice a year. It's an incredible, interfaith community effort, as congregants from many local churches and synagogues helped us out as well. 

Next hosting dates: March 10 to March 24, 2019

Help cook meals, set-up, clean-up, be an overnight host or food shop!  To volunteer, please register on this new site: http://familypromisemetrowest.org/.  In the drop down menu for "Get Involved," click on CERVIS, and follow the instructions listed there.  If you have any questions about registering for CERVIS, please contact Cindy.

Community Cooks

Calling all chefs, sous-chefs and shoppers!! We need you! 
Congregation Or Atid has joined forces with Community Cooks to provide a month meals to a women's shelter in Waltham. We will be cooking at 9:30 am in the Or Atid kitchen a meal to be delivered for approximately 15 women at this shelter. The following dates are the next opportunities to cook:  March 8th, April 5th, May 3rd and June 14th.

Whether you'd like to purchase food items in advance or help us cook the meal Sunday morning, please contact Maggie Rubin at socialaction@congregationoratid.org, to receive an assignment.

High Holiday Food Drive 

A Place to Turn food pantry
Please bring your non-perishable food and toiletries before before Kol Nidre service. There will be a space in the back of the sanctuary for your donations.

Mitzvah Day

Our annual Mitzvah Day brings our entire Or Atid community together in the spirit of Tikkun Olam- to repair the world. We have hands-on mitzvah activities for congregants of all ages to help those most in need. 

Family Table

(Box in temple lobby)
Or Atid has been assigned canned soup and canned vegetables to donate to Family Table. Our monthly minimum is 25 of each of these items.  Volunteers are needed each month to drive the donated food from our Or Atid lobby to JF&CS in Waltham.  Volunteers can also help organize, pack, and distribute the food. For questions or to be added to our volunteer list, please email Beth Winograd.

Bristol Lodge

Volunteers help serve a meal to homeless people at this Waltham soup kitchen. This is a great opportunity for children ages 8 and up, as well as adults. Choose a Sunday, from 4:45 pm to around 5:45pm.

Jewish Family Service of Metrowest

People of all ages, professions, backgrounds, and language abilities volunteer to make a difference. You can visit an elderly person, mentor a first time mother, tutor elementary school students after school, assist in the JFS/MW office and many other opportunities.

Wayside Hospice

By volunteering to help those at the end of life's journey, and their families, you can provide a valuable service within the community. Hospice volunteers learn the meaning of life and dignity from a unique perspective.

A Place To Turn

This food pantry in Natick is committed to providing emergency food and clothing to those in need. In addition to our High Holiday collection, volunteers are needed to help sort food here and to organize their own food and toiletry drives throughout the year.

Donate a Phone

(Box in temple lobby)
We collect used cell phones for domestic violence victims. The phones are reprogrammed to dial 911 and a non-emergency number.

Donations of Leftovers

Leftover food items and flowers from social events like Bar Mitzvahs or corporate functions can be donated to feed the hungry.

How to participate

If you would like to volunteer for one or more of these special programs, just email our social action committee at socialaction@congregationoratid.org. For Family Table, email familytable@congregationoratid.org.