Page 1 - The Jewish Voice - May '21

VOL. 11 NO. 5 www.seabreezepublications.com MAY 2021

Federation Volunteers Celebrate Good Deeds Day

More than 200 community volunteers representing
the Jewish Federation of Palm Beach County’s Jewish
Volunteer Center, Jewish Teen Initiative, Israel Program
Center, and Jewish Community Relations Council joined
millions of people around the world to celebrate the global
day of service event known as Good Deeds Day. Service
projects held throughout the county included packing and
gleaning food for local families, sorting school supplies for
children, a beach cleanup, and assembling care packages
for Holocaust survivors. This year’s Good Deeds Day
welcomed the greatest number of Jewish Federation
community volunteers since the launch of the annual event
in 2007.
Throughout the day, Federation volunteers in partnership Anna Erwin, Palm Beach Atlantic University student Teens from CASEC and JTI
with the Chinese Association of Science, Economics and
Culture (CASEC) harvested over 13,000 pounds of fresh
produce at Mecca Farms in Boynton Beach for distribution
to food pantries throughout the county. At the Palm Beach
County Food Bank, dozens of volunteers in a partnership
with CROS Ministries sorted and boxed 11,450 pounds
of food donations, which is the equivalent of 9,542 meals
for distribution to 143 local food pantries for people
experiencing food insecurity. A community supply drive
collected thousands of diapers, baby wipes, baby formula,
and food for the Basics 4 Babies supply pantry at Healthy
Mothers, Healthy Babies. The donated items will help more
than 125 families care for their infants for one month.

Federation Volunteers Celebrate on page 2 Hari Sachs and Cindy Getzoff Scott, Jillian, Sonny, and Gemma Loss
NCJW Palm Beach Aims to Save Lives One Head at a Time

Heads Smart, the bicycle and helmet safety program demonstrated how to effectively wear a helmet, and riding. If only Jonathon had been wearing a helmet when
sponsored by The National Council of Jewish Women, Palm explained Florida laws related to bike riding. A drawing he was hit by that car, he would be alive today,” said
Beach, is gearing up to make presentations in schools and was held for a free, nationally approved helmet from a local Rickles. Supported by NCJW, Essex County Section, she
community venues. The program, which uses education, bike shop, where the owner would be able to fit the helmet ran a successful educational and advocacy campaign that
advocacy, and the donation of helmets to promote the perfectly. led to the eventual passing of a law mandating helmets for
wearing of protective helmets, has the potential to reduce “We hope that this fall, we will be able to resume children 16 and younger in the state of New Jersey.
the risk of serious head injury and death for both children addressing children and parents in the schools and “I know that life is fragile and that just one fall, just one
and adults when cycling. communities. We need to teach them from an early age on accident without a helmet, could end a life and change the
Marsha Rickles and her colleague Ilene Cohen-Leefer why helmets are necessary and cool. And, of course, we course of a family forever. I do not want people to suffer
lead this initiative with passion. Over 30 years ago, Marsha will use age-appropriate speeches and activities.” as I have. It is not necessary,” said Rickles.
lost her seven-year-old son to head trauma sustained in a The Heads Smart duo has plans to partner with Safe For more information on Heads Smart, please contact
bicycle accident with a car. Jonathon’s death affected not Kids Florida in bike safety events and will take instruction Marsha Rickles at 973-632-9743 or mrickles@gmail.com.
only her family and friends, but shook the entire community. to become certified helmet
When Ilene took a fall from a bike, her life was saved fitters.
because she wore a helmet. “My mission is to save
“Our original goal was to take our program into the as many lives and families
schools. However, during the pandemic, we were limited as I can,” said Rickles, who
and had to change our focus,” said Rickles. began her campaign in 1988
Instead of being discouraged, these two women after the death of her son
created a 30-minute Zoom presentation for adults in gated from a cerebral hemorrhage.
communities. Following their personal testimonies, Cohen- “Back then, helmets were
Leefer, an avid cyclist, discussed new helmet technology, the exception when bike

Marsha Rickles Ilene Cohen-Leefer