Make A Difference Day!

Southern & Jewish

Southern & Jewish celebrates the stories, people, and experiences – past and present – of Jewish life in the American South. Hosted by the Goldring/Woldenberg Institute of Southern Jewish Life, posts come from educators, students, rabbis, parents, artists, and many other “visitors-to and daily-livers-of” the Southern Jewish experience. From road trips to recipes to reflections, we’ll explore a little bit of everything – well, at least all things Southern and/or Jewish. Shalom, y’all!

October 27th was national “Make a Difference Day.” This piece was written by Gernelle Nelson, the ISJL’s AmeriCorps member.

Taking a leadership role in Make a Difference Day is one of my duties as an AmeriCorps volunteer. I wanted to coordinate something really meaningful. While there are lots of ways to make a difference, this year, I encouraged our office to focus on making a difference for sick children in the hospital. Being in the hospital can be a scary and lonely experience for a child. Some young children have to be away from family and friends for weeks as they recover, and this can bring feelings of sadness and restlessness. We wanted to help them focus on learning and having fun despite their current conditions.

So we collected activity books, stickers and art supplies. Several of us even made handmade cards to show that we care. Within a week, we had over 80 cards, 30 activity books and 20 sets of crayons, markers and colored pencils. Along with one of the ISJL’s Education Fellows, Sam Kahan, I went and delivered the donations in person to the Batson Children’s Hospital. It was a wonderful way to truly make a difference for those children, hopefully brightening their day and reminding them that their community cares.

Even though Make a Difference Day has passed, it’s never too late to dedicate time, energy and other resources to improve our world. Did you participate in Make A Difference Day?