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2,100 Bags Packed For Baltimore's Families In Need As A Part Of Week-Long Mitzvah Day

OWINGS MILLS, Md. (WJZ) -- The Jewish Volunteer Connection is helping out the community this Christmas eve during its annual Mitzvah event by assembling care packages for those in need.

But the event is looking a little different this year to comply with social distancing restrictions.

During a time when so many people are in need, the Jewish Volunteer Connection has been working hard all week to help out their community despite COVID-19 restrictions that make it more difficult than usual.

"We wanted to make sure that we were meeting all of the obligations that we normally meet in a way that is safe and physically distanced," said Ashley Pressman, the executive director of Jewish Volunteer Connection.

It's called Mitzvah Day, a day of volunteering that usually happens on Christmas Day.

This year it's Mitzvah Week because they could only have so many people working socially distanced at once to create winter care packages for people in need.

Some were made at the Jewish Community Center in Owings Mills and others were made remotely.

"Others are being done in people's homes or other really small physically distanced ways to make sure that all the organizations that count in getting these care packages every year that we're still able to disburse them," Pressman added.

About 2,100 bags of hand-knit hats, scarves, gloves in addition to food, toiletries and face masks are being made and delivered to shelters and charity organizations across the Baltimore area.

"We know that the need has just grown tremendously unfortunately as people who maybe were economically stable and housing insecure," she added.

These bags are set out to go out over the next two days to people all across the Baltimore area.

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