Mitzvah Day 2021 (Sunday Nov 21st)
Mitzvah Day is the UK’s largest faith-led day of social action. Over 40,000 people around the world come together to give our time, not just money, to make a difference to the community around us. We introduce people to social action, to their neighbours and to local charities, setting up projects which address real needs. Jewish-led, we bring together people of all faiths and backgrounds to volunteer side-by-side, building longstanding, genuine relationships.
This year Kol Nefesh will be supporting the following collection-based projects:
Food Bank Aid – North London Network
Show Us Your Knickers! - Pants for all.
Donate your Laptop
and two family based art/craft activities:
ADI – Card Making and More for disabled children in Israel
Make vegan bird feeding balls and recycled bird feeders for your garden.
We will have 3 ‘hubs’ where you can bring your donations and artworks, in Edgware, Radlett and Finchley.
For dates, times, and locations where you can drop items off, please contact admin@kolnefesh.org.uk. Thank you for your contributions.
Support your local Food Bank by donating food directly through the Food Bank Aid Network.
Food Bank Aid was set up in April 2020 to support North London food banks as they struggled with more than triple the normal demand through lockdown. Since then, we have grown, thanks to the incredible support of our amazing volunteers and donors. Every week our donations support 15-20 food banks across North London, which together, help around 12,000 vulnerable people including 3,000 children.
-
Tomato ketchup
-
Spices – chilli, cumin, coriander, turmeric, black pepper
-
Jelly blocks
-
Instant coffee
-
Cooking Oil (max 1L)
-
Long life tofu
-
Baking – yeast, caster sugar
-
Spreads – honey, marmite
-
Long lasting fruit & veg – e.g. potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, cabbages, oranges, apples
-
Tinned Food – fruit, tinned vegetables, fish
-
Toiletries – soap bars, deodorant, men’s shaving foam and razors
Please have a look at the list and maybe add a few items to your next shopping list!
We will have 3 ‘hubs’ where you can bring your donations, in Edgware, Radlett and Finchley.
Show Us Your Knickers! - Pants for All
Help collect new pants to give people back the dignity they deserve.
Smalls for All® is a charity that collects and distributes underwear to people in Africa and the UK who can’t afford or can’t get any. In Africa, we help those living in orphanages, slums, IDP (internally displaced persons) camps and schools, as well as those in hospitals suffering from medical conditions like obstetric fistula or who need to be fitted with prosthetics or orthotics. In the UK we help charities that support the homeless as well as, for example, refuges and school uniform banks.
Giving underwear may seem like a small thing, but it can make a life-changing difference. For example, having pants can help teenage girls complete their education without having to miss school each month during their period.
https://mitzvahday.org.uk/project/collect-new-pants-for-smalls-for-all/
Here are the details:
Donate your Laptop
Donate your unwanted laptops to Screen Share and help to support young refugees in the UK.
Screen Share exists to support, inform and advocate for digital inclusion for young refugees. We do this primarily by repurposing used laptops and gifting them to young refugees in the UK. To find out more about our work please visit our website https://www.screen-share.co.uk/
We only accept laptops which:
-
Switch on
-
Have built-in cameras
-
Are no more than 8 years old
-
Unfortunately, at this stage, we don’t accept laptops which:
-
Don’t switch on
-
Couldn’t fit into a medium sized backpack
-
Have a sticker by the trackpad which say ‘Celeron’ or ‘Pentium’
https://mitzvahday.org.uk/project/donate-your-laptop/
We’ll let everyone know dates and times when you can drop items off very soon.
ADI – Card-making and more for disabled children in Israel
Get crafty for the children of ADI!
ADI is Israel’s most comprehensive provider of residential care for individuals with severe disabilities, the leader of the national rehabilitation movement, and an international advocate for disability inclusion, equity and access. While empowering hundreds of Israel’s most vulnerable citizens – children, adolescents and adults – to advance well beyond their initial prognoses and live happy, dignified, and meaningful lives, ADI is also establishing fully inclusive communities and laying the groundwork for the provision of the highest-level rehabilitative care for all. ADI offers a wide range of services and community engagement schemes around the world, so everyone can get involved and make a difference!
The children of ADI live in residential homes, where they receive medical treatment, go to school and attend social activities. With your help, we can make our children feel more at home – Create a collage, a painting or make cards for the children of ADI. Be creative and express your artistic side, for the benefit of the children of ADI. We promise to deliver your piece to them and use it to decorate their home.
https://mitzvahday.org.uk/project/adi-card-making-and-more/
Send a message to the children of ADI!
Why not send us a video of yourselves sending a Chanukah greeting to our children? Please do send us a short clip and upload to the link below
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1wViFUQsgg0qMk4N09tD8Et89h27d06vT?usp=sharing
Make vegan bird feeding balls and recycled bird feeders
https://mitzvahday.org.uk/project/make-vegan-bird-feeding-balls/
Short days and long cold nights can make winter a tough time for many animals. Birds in particular face a daily challenge to find enough food and water to see them through to spring.
With many of our favourite garden species already struggling due to habitat loss, intensive agriculture and numerous other threats, they are in desperate need of our help. Birds can expend a huge amount of energy just staying warm during cold winter nights, meaning that finding food is a top priority during daylight hours. Providing a consistent supply of energy-rich foods can make an enormous difference to these birds
You can help garden birds survive the winter months by using our vegan recipe to create bird seed balls.
Items Required:
-
50g coconut oil
-
2 tablespoons peanut butter
-
70g polenta
-
2 tablespoons rolled oats (crushed into small pieces)
-
2 tablespoons plain flour (white or wholemeal)
-
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds (chopped)
-
2 tablespoons raisins (chopped)
-
String to hang the finished bird seed balls (or save the outer string bags from fruit such as satsumas or clementine)
Method
-
Melt coconut oil and peanut butter over a low heat in a small pot.
-
Combine remaining edible ingredients in a mixing bowl. When the oil and peanut butter have melted, add it to the dry ingredients and mix to combine evenly. Scrape into a shallow container press the mixture down, cover and refrigerate until firm.
-
Cut the string to size and using a handful of the cooled and firm mixture, press around the string to form a ball, and then wind the string around several times to secure. Alternatively just form balls and place into your saved fruit string bags. These can then be hung from branches to provide vital nourishment for local birds.