Volunteer Opportunities

College Mentors for Kids: Every Tuesday, college students work with youth from schools in Prince George’s County to foster ideas of higher education, culture, diversity, and community service. Activities have included the young students meeting university professors, attending lectures, and visiting special areas at the University of Maryland. The students are asked to reflect about each trip they take to campus in journals with their college buddy. Contact this email to get involved!

Interfaith Programming: Maryland Hillel values all religious and faith organizations and is working towards developing programming to bring together different views and perspectives in safe spaces. We have hosted several Interfaith Shabbat Dinners, meal packaging events, and dialogue discussions through our interfaith fellowships.

Challah for Hunger raises money and awareness for people facing hunger by bringing together students. Join us on Thursday evenings to braid and bake challah and/or on Friday mornings to sell the loaves, all proceeds are donated. Hang out with friends and meet new people over challah braiding and important dialogue on social justice issues.

The Jewish Foundation for Group Homes provides individuals with developmental disabilities and/or chronic mental disorders with the opportunity to live independently within the community. The Foundation values dignity, personal choice, and respect while offering the opportunity to experience Jewish life and practice faith. Maryland Hillel has in the past worked with the foundation for many years and there are opportunities to organize activities such as visiting and assistance with programming at the group homes, sharing Shabbat meals at the group home’s, programming at Hillel, and Sukkah building at the residents homes.

Community Crisis Services Inc. (CCSI) is a domestic violence shelter for women, children and men to flee their unsafe situations and have a safe haven to acclimate to society after trauma. If you choose to volunteer, our specific tasks would be to work directly with the children 5 and under living at the shelter. This would be a time to play, color and have some fun with the very young children living there. We would be there to give the mothers a break and help the children live as normal of a life as possible. Volunteers currently visit the shelter Mondays thru Thursdays. Volunteers also have to complete a training program at the beginning of every semester in order to be certified and prepared to enter the shelter.

Yom Kippur Prison Program: During Yom Kippur students visit various federal prisons, in order to create a meaningful and enlightening Yom Kippur experience for inmates in those correctional facilities. Connecting with people from various backgrounds, students will gain insights to the American justice system and will provide Jewish learning to Jewish inmates who are looking for an opportunity to have a reflective Yom Kippur.

Global Justice Shabbat: Each year, Maryland Hillel holds a large-scale social justice Shabbat featuring speakers on various topics related to social justice and change. The past themes for the evenings have included #MeToo Movement, Syrian Refugees, Race, Power and Privilege in America, Global Hunger, Global Women’s Shabbat featuring Ruth Messinger, President of American Jewish World Service. Students have the opportunity to chair the event by leading the programming for the night, as well as participate on committees for planning information and decoration.

Monthly Good Deeds Day: Join us for a global day of service. Each month students will spend a Sunday serving a different vulnerable population in the DC area. Want to arrange a day of service for your student group, group of friends or fraternity or sorority? Contact us and we can make it happen.

Blood Drives: The American Red Cross is the nation’s largest blood collection organization, supplying approximately 40 percent of the blood and blood products used in our country. By donating blood, you are making a lifesaving contribution that benefits accident victims, cancer patients, surgical candidates, children with blood disorders and many others. Keep an eye out for our blood drives each semester.