Jewish, Muslim volunteers join to help out during Christmas

Ari Goldberg filled Styrofoam cup after Styrofoam cup with lemonade from a giant jug cooler in soup kitchen at the St. Leo Catholic Church’s on Detroit’s west side on Christmas morning.

The 13-year-old West Bloomfield resident was one of about two dozen volunteers from the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Detroit who helped prepare and serve a festive holiday meal to less-fortunate people.

It was part of the organization’s annual Mitzvah Day program, the largest single day of volunteering by the region’s Jewish community, which enables Christians to spend the holiday at home with their loved ones, according to the Federation. This year, for the third time, an estimated 1,000 Jewish volunteers joined forces with their Muslim neighbors

“Mitzvah” means “good deed” or “commandment” in Hebrew.

“We come here every Christmas. It’s a tradition,” said Ari, who arrived at the church with his mother and 7-year-old brother at 8:30 a.m. “It’s important to help people in need.”

Among other Mitzvah Day volunteer opportunities were sorting books for the annual Bookstock used book and media sale, delivering holiday meals to homebound seniors, sorting food at Gleaners Community Food Bank and serving meals to veterans at Piquette Square in Detroit, Federation spokeswoman Beverly Phillips said.

In southwest Detroit, an estimated 700 people got to play Santa Claus for 215 families. They first gathered to get big plastic bags filled with toys and clothing to give to underprivileged children as part of the Jimmy’s Kids program, started in 1989 by Jim Tuman, a 70-year-old national speaker and youth advocate from Royal Oak.

His elves? Volunteers from the United Council of Islamic Societies, the Jewish Federation and several area churches.

George Schuttler, 24, of Lansing was participating for the second year and was assigned to surprise the Canales family. Miguel, 10, pulled out dozens of gifts, from toy cars and books to yo-yos and stuffed animals, which he shared with Samuel, 8, and Johanna, 12.

They even shared some of their bounty (a black T-shirt and a large basket) with their mom, Iliana, 39, a factory worker, who watched her gleeful kids beneath a string of white holiday lights hung up in a triangle, the shape of a Christmas tree.

“I think the things are so cool,” Johanna said, after trading her brothers their green light-up ball with a purple one.

Her parents, immigrants from Latin America, were more reflective.

“This year, the economy don’t keep (like) years before,” Samuel, 44, a construction worker, said. “Sometimes, it’s really good. Now, it’s slow.”

And for Schuttler, a medical courier, it came down to those smiles — and his own.

“I’m getting a lot more joy helping other people,” he said.

Sarah Youssef, a University of Michigan nursing student from Canton, was a first-time volunteer. She was put to work delivering gifts to five families in the neighborhood. She said she was glad to be involved, too.

“It’s nice to have everyone come together,” the 26-year-old said. “Especially it’s Christmas; it’s not my holiday. It’s nice to give back and do some of the work to make someone else’s day.”

Contact Zlati Meyer: 313-223-4439 or zmeyer@freepress.com

source