Baltimore's Jewish Community Volunteers To Help The Needy On Christmas

BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- On this Christmas Day, members of Baltimore's Jewish community have been busy reaching out to help those in need.

Ron Matz has more on a special day and a milestone for the Jewish Volunteer Connection.

The winter care packages are ready for delivery, filled by volunteers at the Jewish Community Center. This is Mitzvah Day.

"A mitzvah is a good deed," said co-chair Michelle Damareck. "It's just doing something good. So community mitzvah day is when we're all coming together to do something good on one day."

More than 1,000 volunteers are filling 2,000 bags with socks, hats, scarves, bottled water and more.

Needy kids will get crayons and books and a handmade card. It's all about giving back.

"I think it's very important because I know that I'm very lucky to have food, warmth and shelter," said ten-year-old Alexa Grossman, a volunteer, ' and some people don't have that."

This marks the tenth anniversary for Mitzvah Day.

The Grossman family has been there every year.

"At first my mom told me we were going to do it," said 12-year-old Matthew Grossman. "But ever since then I've really wanted to help because it's an awesome cause and everybody wants to help on a day when nobody else can."

Besides putting these care packages together, volunteers are also serving meals at soup kitchens and helping homebound seniors.

"We have volunteers out at 25 different sites in the community -- soup kitchen, shelters and senior facilities -- just helping out," said Ashley Pressman, executive director of the Jewish Volunteer Connection. "

Making Baltimore a better place on a day when all you need is love.

Since the start of Mitzvah Day ten years ago, the Jewish Volunteer Connection has distributed more than 13,000 winter care packages to people in need.