ENGAGE IN KNITTING 
 
KNITTERS FOR NEED
Monthly Meeting on MONDAY, JANUARY 6th
10:30 am
JCC of Mid Westchester
999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale

SHUL STITCHERS @TEMPLE SHAARAY TEFILAH
Monthly Meeting on MONDAY, JANUARY 13th
10:30 am
Temple Shaaray Tefila
89 Baldwin Road, Bedford Corners

SHUL STITCHERS IN THE NORTH
     MEETING AT MLK DAY OF SERVICE, MONDAY, JANUARY 20th
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Shames JCC on the Hudson
371 South Broadway, Tarrytown

      RIVERTOWNS SHUL STITCHERS
Monthly Meeting on THURSDAY, JANUARY 23rd
1:00 pm
Greenburgh Hebrew Center
515 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry

ALL KNITTERS AND CROCHETERS ARE WELCOME TO PARTICIPATE IN ENGAGE IN KNITTING AT SHAMES JCC ON MLK DAY, 
JANUARY 20th.  PLEASE SEE DETAILS BELOW.  

If you cannot attend a monthly knitting circle, then KNIT AT HOME!

All knitters and crocheters welcome. Beginners too! If you want to participate or if you know of an organization in need of blankets, hats or scarves, please contact Karen Newman at knwm64@gmail.com 
ENGAGE IN SONG

SING-ALONG
THURSDAY, JANUARY 9th
2:30 pm (warm-up rehearsal followed by Sing-Along)
Ossining Children's Center
90 South Highland Avenue, Ossining

Start 2020 off Engage-ing In Song!  Join us for another delightful sing-along with the adorable preschoolers of Ossining Children's Center. We'll lead the children in singing favorites such as Hokey PokeyWheels on the BusI'm a Little Teapot and Head, Shoulders, Knees & Toes. Check out the fun we had at a recent visit! 

All are welcome and no audition is necessary - just bring your love of singing!

Experience the joy of singing with others. Participate in Sing-Alongs
for Westchester Social Service Agencies. Join Engage In Song!! 

Please RSVP to Debra Cerbini at dcerbini@shamesjcc.org
MOUNT KISCO MONDAYS
ENGAGE MEET & GREET @ ENGAGE MOUNT KISCO
Tell Me Your Story
A Writing Workshop Facilitated by
Susan Gilbert, LMSW, MFA
 
MONDAY, JANUARY 13th
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
Engage Mount Kisco
27 Radio Circle Drive, Mount Kisco
(Corner Lexington Ave, 1st Floor)

Taking part in activities such as creative writing classes can help stimulate mental acuity and keep the mind sharp. In the Tell Me Your Story Workshop participants will tap into personal memories and observations through engaging writing prompts. Bring a notebook and pen or a computer and be prepared to relax, think, and explore a story or meaningful event and write a bit about it for yourself or possibly to share.  

For printable flyer, please click here.

Please RSVP to Debra Cerbiniat dcerbini@shamesjcc.org
ENGAGE GROUP SERVICE PROJECT
FEED THE HUNGRY!
 
TUESDAY, JANUARY 14th
10:00 am - Coffee and Conversation
10:30 am - Soup and Sandwich Making
Beth El Synagogue Center
1324 North Avenue, New Rochelle

Help make sandwiches and fill jars with soup ingredients for the elderly. Meet Niti Minkove of Bronx Jewish Community Council and learn how we can help alleviate food insecurity in the Bronx. Join us as we partner with Beth El Synagogue Center in New Rochelle for this important service project.

Please RSVP to Maida Silver at msilver@shamesjcc.org
MID-WESTCHESTER WEDNESDAYS
ENGAGE MEET & GREET @ JCC of MID-WESTCHESTER
 
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15th
11:00 am - 12:30 pm
JCC Mid-Westchester
999 Wilmot Road, Scarsdale

You are invited to a special, custom-generated, interactive class with John Ramahlo, Director of Technology at JCC of Mid-Westchester. 

When you sit down at your computer, or pick up your smart phone or tablet, what do you want to know? Have you ever thought about organizing your photos or files? Have you wanted to skype, face-time or be part of a google hang-out? Wouldn't it be helpful to have a google calendar of birthdays, anniversary's and special days for the whole family to share? These are only a few topics that we can explore at our January Mid-Westchester Wednesday.

For the next few weeks, take notes about what you want to learn and bring 4-5 questions for John. Chances are our group discussion will reveal some of your questions to be the same as others in the group. If not, some of their issues may be of interest to you. You can do it!

Please RSVP to Maida Silver at engage@jccmw.org
ENGAGE GROUP SERVICE PROJECT

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16th
10:30 am - 12:00 pm
Kids' Kloset
901 North Broadway, White Plains

Volunteers are needed to organize, sort and shelve gently used children's clothing. Local agencies will distribute the clothing to kids in need.
 
Nearly 13% of Westchester County children live in poverty. Since opening in 2011, Kids' Kloset has provided over 17,000 bags of clothing, footwear, diapers and other baby essentials to local children.
 
Kids' Kloset is part of 914Cares, and is located in White Plains. There is plenty of free parking. 

Space is limited. Registration is required. Please email Maida Silver at msilver@shamesjcc.org

 SAVE THE DATES for KIDS' KLOSET 2020!
All Tuesdays from 11:00 am - 1:00 pm at Kids' Kloset
February 11th 
March 10th 
April 14th
May 5th
June 2nd
TARRYTOWN THURSDAYS
ENGAGE MEET & GREET @ SHAMES JCC

REDUCE STRESS BY LEARNING THE EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE - a.k.a  "TAPPING"

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16th
1:30 - 3:00 pm
Shames JCC on the Hudson
371 South Broadway, Tarrytown

Come learn about "Tapping"  (No, not the dance)!  Tapping is the common name for the Emotional Freedom Technique ("EFT") and is based on the ancient principles of acupuncture. It's a simple tapping procedure that gently balances the energy system by tapping on the body's acupuncture meridians. EFT is a self-healing tool that can be used for almost any emotional health and performance issue.

This program will be an introduction to experiencing EFT. We will focus on reducing stress as well as eliminating cravings. Come participate or just come and learn about this groundbreaking technique. For the cravings portion, feel free to bring your favorite snack.

Workshop leader Pam Nyden is a Certified EFT Practitioner and a Certified Life Coach. After working with Pam, her clients feel peaceful, calm and empowered to manage life's challenges.

Please RSVP by Monday, January 13th to  Laura Wexler at lwexler@shamesjcc.org
VOLUNTEER IN THE NEW YEAR! 
YOUR PARTICIPATION IS IMPORTANT!
EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

"Life's most persistent and urgent question is, 'What are you doing for others?'" - Martin Luther King Jr.

UJA/Shames JCC/Engage/Jewish Board  
MLK DAY OF SERVICE 2019
MONDAY, JANUARY 20th
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
Shames JCC on the Hudson
371 South Broadway, Tarrytown

Join us for this inter-generational volunteer program that will take place at the Shames JCC on MLK Day. In Westchester, UJA-Federation of New York, Shames JCC on the Hudson, Engage and the Jewish Board Hawthorne Campus have joined forces to focus once again on food insecurity in our community.

Help us ensure that families have food this winter during weather- related and other emergencies. Volunteers are needed to assemble and decorate 600 "Blizzard Boxes", an assortment of non-perishable food items that contains one complete emergency meal. These boxes will be distributed to families in need at a number of food pantries and senior centers in anticipation of problems due to severe weather conditions.

Other activities:
  • Sit with members of Engage In Knitting and the Jewish Board Hawthorne Campus teens to knit or crochet blanket squares to be patched together into Sanctuary Blankets for new residents arriving at the Campus (a residential treatment facility for at-risk teens)
  • Join with others to sort and pack critically needed medical supplies for AFYA (see below) 
  • Create fabric supermarket shopping bags from recycled tee shirts.
Everyone is welcome! We will have activities for children of all ages, their parents and their grandparents! 

Registration this year is online only.  Space is limited.  To volunteer, RSVP HERE!  Thank you.
ENGAGE GROUP SERVICE
AFYA FOUNDATION

MONDAY, JANUARY 20th
10:00 am - 12:00 pm
AT MLK DAY OF SERVICE
Shames JCC on the Hudson
(In the Youth Lounge)
371 South Broadway, Tarrytown

Did you know that every year American hospitals discard 7,000 tons of usable medical supplies? AFYA is a wonderful organization that recovers these surplus medical supplies and ships them to healthcare facilities in 56 countries.

We are excited to announce that we have scheduled Monthly Engage AFYA Sorts of critically-needed medical supplies at Shames JCC.  Thanks to Engage volunteer leaders Barbara Aronson, Irene Lustgarten and Lynn Millstein for making this possible.  Please join us!

SAVE THE DATES FOR AFYA 2020! 
All Tuesdays from 1:30 - 3:30 pm at Shames JCC
FEBRUARY 25th
MARCH 31st
APRIL 28th
MAY 12th
JUNE 16th

If you have any questions or would like to RSVP, please email 
Barbara Aronson at baronson46@gmail.com or call her at 914.318.7748
GROUP SERVICE PROJECT
FEEDING WESTCHESTER

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23rd
9:30 - 11:00 am
Feeding Westchester
200 Clearbrook Road. Elmsford

Over 200,000 Westchester residents are hungry or food insecure. One-half are seniors and one-third are children. Each year, Feeding Westchester delivers over 8.4 million pounds of food and 7.5 million meals to people.
 
Come join Engage as we sort and pack food which will later be distributed to those in need.
 
Space is limited - Please RSVP to Laura Wexler at lwexler@shamesjcc.org

CHILDREN'S LITERACY OPPORTUNITIES 
WITH JCY-WCP 

JCY-WCP is currently recruiting mentors for their new programs at School 23 in Yonkers (Wednesdays from 2:20 - 3:20 pm) and at Parker School in Mount Vernon (flexible timing during the school day.) For just one hour each week, read with a student and provide him/her with the resources, motivation and opportunities to develop a lifelong love of reading! You can make a difference in the life of a child!  

  If you are interested in playing a vital part in either of these programs, 
please email Maida Silver at msilver@shamesjcc.org

We want to remind everyone about the importance of giving us your volunteer hours each month.  

We are so appreciative of the time that you spend volunteering! But the grant that Engage receives from UJA-Federation requires that we submit all the hours that our members volunteer.  
 
At the end of each month we send an email asking for the agencies where you volunteered and the number of hours you volunteered at each. Please, please, help us by responding to those emails. By recording your hours, we document the strength of this wonderful program. Thank you!

PS - It's time for us to prepare our Mid-Year Report.  Please make sure to check if you've emailed your hours from July through December. Many thanks!

- Maida, Debra and Laura

Whether you are retired, an empty nester, or transitioning to a new stage of life, we invite age 50+ members of our community to join the Engage volunteer network. Our Engage professional team always looks forward to meeting prospective and active members to introduce you to exciting social action opportunities in Westchester, whether you are interested in an individual weekly volunteer opportunity or want to participate in our monthly GROUP SERVICE projects. In addition, we schedule a monthly MEET & GREET at each of our 3 sites.  Follow this LINK to register for Engage!

As an Engage volunteer, we welcome you to explore programs specifically designed with you in mind at the Shames and Mid Westchester JCCs.  Adult and Senior Programs as well as Health and Fitness departments at both JCCs offer a variety of classes, lectures, book talks, film, crafts and more!  Although fee based, there are frequently discounts offered to Engage volunteers. Follow these links, shamesjcc.org and jccmw.org to connect with others through social, physical, cultural and spiritual programs. 

Hope to see you soon! - Maida, Debra and Laura

A LINK TO A PRINTABLE ENGAGE MONTHLY CALENDAR 
   
All the month's Engage service projects and activities posted on your refrigerator. What could be better? 



FOR A JANUARY CALENDAR 
PLEASE
CLICK HERE 

ENGAGE WESTCHESTER

Maida Silver
Director, Engage Westchester 
(914) 366-7898 ext. 1147   msilver@shamesjcc.org

Shames JCC on the Hudson
Laura Wexler
Engage Site Coordinator 
(914) 366-7898 ext. 1124  lwexler@shamesjcc.org
 
UJA-Federation/Mount Kisco
Debra Cerbini
Engage Site Coordinator
(914) 366-7898 ext. 1145   dcerbini@shamesjcc.org  (Please note NEW telephone#)

JCC of Mid-Westchester 
Maida Silver  engage@jccmw.org
Stephanie Balkin   
(914) 472-7672   balkins@jccmw.org
 
Engage Leadership Advisory Committee 
Froma Benerofe, Engage Co-Chair 
Lee Lowell, Engage Co-Chair
Carol Corbin 
Harry Follick                                              
Sheila Friedland  
Susan Gilbert                             
Barbara Kostroff                 
Lynn Millstein  
Jessica Morgenthal    
Karen Newman    
Lenore Rosenbaum       
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