December 1, 2022
It has been a tradition for my family and I to volunteer in the Beth Emet soup kitchen… It’s our way of giving back for all the blessings we’ve received. Life is pretty good for me, and I know how to cook Turkey pretty well. When I was a kid, at least once I benefited from food that was donated to my family for a holiday meal. That always stayed with me. I didn’t pursue opportunities to give back for several years. When I moved to Chicago, I had an opportunity to participate in a soup kitchen as a volunteer. I realized that getting a soup kitchen to run smoothly was really about small team leadership and project management, both things that I do in my day to day. And, I cook a pretty good turkey. The soup kitchen that I participate in had never been able to get a traditional Thanksgiving meal out – nobody thought that they could handle the challenge of all that turkey/stuffing/yams etc.
It has been a tradition for my family and I to volunteer in the Beth Emet soup kitchen… It’s our way of giving back for all the blessings
About 10 years ago my family and I decided we were up to it. I really felt that being able to allow everyone to have the traditional meal was something that if we could do it was important to do. When we started, my eldest was 10 and my younger twins were 5 or so. They grew into their jobs, and as they got older I allowed them to bring their friends to volunteer as well. Its become a family tradition.
So, this Thanksgiving I got up early and made all the fixings – Turkey, Stuffing, yams, gravy, cranberry sauce salad, etc plus we made take-home sandwiches so that everyone could have a leftover turkey sandwich.
There isn’t much that I can do to make the world a better place, but one day a year I can use my skills to help a small group of people have a better holiday.
Hope that everyone had a great holiday, we all have a great deal to be thankful for.
Beth Emet has so many amazing members, each offering unique talents to the greater community. Share your news with all of us so we can both celebrate and get to know one another a bit better…. Especially during these (mostly) virtual times. Send your news to Bekki Kaplan, and if possible, please include a photo!
