Am Shalom is guided by the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam; it is our responsibility to better and repair the world. All are invited, welcomed and encouraged to participate in existing efforts or to initiate new projects that support our philosophy of serving each other and our community.
Read more about our ongoing initiatives below. Please contact Alyssa Latala, Chief Experience Officer, with any questions.
Connections for the Homeless serves people of all ages who are homeless or on the verge of losing their homes. Their shelters are in need of bagged lunches. This is a volunteer activity you can do (mostly) in your home.
Volunteers commit to purchasing, preparing and delivering 25 bag lunches to the Connections site at the Margarita Inn in Evanston (1566 Oak Avenue) between 9:00-11:00am on your selected day. You are welcome to work with friends or family to split the purchasing/preparation.
Sign up for a volunteer shift.
Questions? Want to get on the volunteer list? Please contact Dana Weiss at (201) 665-4759 or danajweiss@gmail.com.
On the third Sunday of every month at 9:00am, Am Shalom volunteers gather in the kitchen to make sandwiches and pack lunches for people in need. It takes about an hour and is rewarding for folks of any age!
Volunteer drivers are needed to deliver the food to Jesus Name Apostolic Church (150 S. Genessee Street, Waukegan).
The Advocates for Community Justice work with organizations that address the causes of injustice in our society. The Committee’s goal is to apply Jewish values to the injustices we face in our community and beyond. Our work is non-partisan. Currently we are working with three organizations that we believe can help us achieve our goal.
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs (JCUA)
Am Shalom is one of 18 partner congregations of the Jewish Council on Urban Affairs. Founded by Rabbi Robert J. Marx, z’l, over 60 years ago, JCUA advances social and economic justice and works to protect immigrants and minorities in Chicago and the suburbs. For more information on our work with JCUA, please contact Doris Gould at goulddoris@gmail.com.
Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism (RAC-IL)
RAC works to educate, inspire, and mobilize the Reform Jewish Movement to advocate for social justice. Action items are published regularly. For more information about our work with RAC-IL, please contact Susan Sances at svgsances@gmail.com.
Gun Violence Prevention Political Action Committee (G-PAC)
G-PAC advocates for common sense, evidence-based gun violence prevention measures that will save lives in Illinois by encouraging grassroots activism, sharing information and resources, fostering collaboration and connections, and working in partnership. For more information about our work with G-PAC, please contact Susan Smith at susan.smith433@comcast.net.
Please contact any of our liaisons if you are interested in joining our group or if you would like to be contacted to participate in action items.
Am Shalom partners with JCFS Chicago every winter to bring holiday gifts to children in need.
Each dreidel pictured represents a child, and lists the child’s age and gift wishes. Everyone is invited to select a dreidel, shop, and bring the items back to Am Shalom so that the gifts can be delivered to the kids.
Information about Dreidel Tags will be sent to the congregation around Thanksgiving. All are welcome to participate!
The Glencoe Community Garden is a sustainable, organic-practicing, food producing mini-farm and compost collaborative, established in 2012 by Am Shalom as a service and educational project. Built and cared for by volunteers, the Garden’s mission is altruistic, educational, and exploratory.
Each season, approximately 3,000 pounds of fresh food is harvested and donated to local social service organizations that share the dream of food security for all and the mindfulness for our environment. With the Garden’s community composting initiative and use of drip irrigation, solar power and rain collection, the 5,000 sq foot area is zero waste to landfill.
GCG offers a myriad of educational, social action and community-building opportunities for individuals and groups in a beautifully accessible space open to all ages and abilities.
See the full calendar of upcoming events and volunteer opportunities at the Glencoe Community Garden’s website.
Blessing Bags contain hygiene kits, socks, snacks and water. They can be found on a rack just outside the Social Hall. All are welcome to grab a bag or two to give to someone in need when you pass them in your car or when walking along the street.
We are grateful to the Am Shalom community for continually providing the supplies necessary to fill the bags, and to our volunteers who gather regularly to assemble them. Am Shalom’s Blessing Bags initiative was founded by Merle Passis and her granddaughters in honor of Merle’s son, Jay Glickman, who lived outside and passed away in 2022.
Please visit LivingOutside.org to learn more about the nonprofit organization founded by Bella and Arden, Merle’s granddaughters, in honor of their uncle.
Interested in donating supplies or packing bags? Contact Alyssa Latala at alatala@amshalom.com.
Join us at the Lake Forest distribution center of the Northern Illinois Food Bank to help inspect, sort, and package food. Am Shalom volunteers take a shift every other month, typically on a Wednesday from 5:30-7:30pm. After our work is done, we head over to The Silo for a pizza dinner together.
Interested in getting an email invite about upcoming volunteer shifts at the food bank? Contact Alyssa at alatala@amshalom.com.
About the food bank: Northern Illinois Food Bank delivers food and healthy eating services to the Northern Illinois community. As part of the national Feeding America network, they serve neighbors in 13 counties by providing 250,000 meals per day.
