Blood Drive
LifeSource Blood Services: LifeSource, a non-profit corporation serving the Chicago area, operates 23 donor centers, 2 mobile unit supported donor centers and conducts an average of 10 mobile blood drives daily. LifeSource is the largest blood center in Illinois and distributes a half-million blood products annually to approximately 60 area hospitals in meeting the need for patient transfusion therapy.
LifeSource Blood Services: LifeSource, a non-profit corporation serving the Chicago area, operates 23 donor centers, 2 mobile unit supported donor centers and conducts an average of 10 mobile blood drives daily. LifeSource is the largest blood center in Illinois and distributes a half-million blood products annually to approximately 60 area hospitals in meeting the need for patient transfusion therapy.
Coat Drive
The ARK creates a safety net for Chicagoland Jews in need by providing vital human services, free of charge, within a framework of Jewish values and laws.
The ARK creates a safety net for Chicagoland Jews in need by providing vital human services, free of charge, within a framework of Jewish values and laws.
Sarah's Circle, located in Chicago's Uptown neighborhood, offers daytime supportive services in a welcoming, safe refuge for women who are homeless, or at risk of becoming homeless.
Environmental Concerns
Check out the Resources page under Green Synagogue.
Fair Trade & Sustainable Development
American Jewish World Service is an international development organization motivated by Judaism’s imperative to pursue justice. AJWS is dedicated to alleviating poverty, hunger and disease among the people of the developing world regardless of race, religion or nationality. Through grants to grassroots organizations, volunteer service, advocacy and education, AJWS fosters civil society, sustainable development and human rights for all people, while promoting the values and responsibilities of global citizenship within the Jewish community. JRC has worked with AJWS on a number of projects, including the Darfur crisis, and sent a congregational delegation to Uganda with AJWS in 2005.
Chicago Fair Trade is currently raising money for the Nankusi Primary School in Eastern Uganda, which serves many of the children of Mirembe Kawomera farmers.
Foundation for Needy Communities was formed in 1996 to build self-reliance and sustainable development in the most impoverished communities of Eastern Uganda through strategies that promote community participation and individual empowerment. Members of JRC first visited FDNC in 2005 and were delighted to return again in summer 2008.
Heifer Project International works with impoverished communities around the world to end hunger by providing farm animals and training to build self-reliance and sustainable local economies.
Jewish Funds for Social Justice is a national public foundation guided by Jewish history and tradition. JFSJ helps people in the United States achieve social and economic security and opportunity by investing in healthy neighborhoods, vibrant Jewish communities, and skillful leaders. Their holistic approach to social change includes grantmaking and loans, service learning, leadership development, organizing, education, and advocacy. Among their projects are efforts to rebuild the Hurricane Katrina. JRC sent a congregational delegation to New Orleans in 2007 to participate in rebuilding efforts with a local community organization.
Mirembe Kawomera fair trade coffee is produced by an interfaith cooperative of Jewish, Christian and Muslim farmers in Uganda. JRC has been selling coffee and educating our community about fair trade since 2005 and visited the cooperative's farmers in summer 2008.
Mirembe Kawomera fair trade coffee is produced by an interfaith cooperative of Jewish, Christian and Muslim farmers in Uganda. JRC has been selling coffee and educating our community about fair trade since 2005 and visited the cooperative's farmers in summer 2008.
Global AIDS
Awassa (Ethiopia) Children's AIDS Education Circus: The Awassa Children's Project promotes sensible, culturally responsible relief work aimed at assisting children primarily orphaned by AIDS, educating people in Africa's Sub-Saharan region about AIDS prevention, and offering a proactive and immediate approach towards the resolution of serious health and social issues facing the region.
WE-ACTx is an international community-based initiative that was launched in fall 2003 by frontline AIDS physicians, activists and researchers with extensive experience in caring and advocating for HIV-positive women. It's primary goal is to increase women’s and children’s access to HIV testing, care, treatment, support, education and training in resource-limited settings at the grassroots level. WE-ACTx began working in Rwanda in early 2004 to provide HIV care to genocide rape survivors, in active partnership with the Rwandan government and five local NGO partners. JRC has supported WE-ACTx efforts for a number of years and was delighted to partner with them on a volunteer delegation to Kigali in summer 2008.
Hands of Peace
Hands of Peace fosters long term peaceful coexistence among Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, and West Bank Palestinians by bringing young people from the Middle East together with American teens in an interfaith setting.
Hands of Peace
Hands of Peace fosters long term peaceful coexistence among Jewish Israelis, Arab Israelis, and West Bank Palestinians by bringing young people from the Middle East together with American teens in an interfaith setting.
Maot Chitim
Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago packs and delivers food for Rosh Hashanah and Passover to needy Jewish families and individuals who have been identified through the ARK and other social service agencies.
Peace & Justice Dialogue
J Street, the Jewish Alliance for Justice and Peace, seeks to educate and mobilize American Jews in support of a negotiated two-state resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Jewish Council on Urban Affairs combats racism, poverty and anti-Semitism alongside partners from Chicago's diverse communities. For more than 40 years, JCUA has brought a Jewish voice and Jewish community involvement to coalition building, advocacy, and issues that affect Chicago's most at-risk populations. JRC has partnered with JCUA on several initiatives, including the Congress Hotel strike and immigration issues.
Refugee Resettlement
Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries (IRIM) provides direct services to refugees and immigrants and encourages it partnering congregations to be involved in world and domestic refugee issues and immigration concerns.
Interfaith Refugee and Immigration Ministries (IRIM) provides direct services to refugees and immigrants and encourages it partnering congregations to be involved in world and domestic refugee issues and immigration concerns.
To learn more about the human rights crises, see Human Rights Watch.
Reggi Marder Memorial Task Force
For additional information and resources regarding clinical depression and suicide prevention, please visit the websites of the following organizations:
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention - a national organization and excellent resource.
Erika's Lighthouse - a local group focusing on mental health education and prevention/intervention for young people.
National Mental Health Association - a national organization with local chapters working on education, prevention and and a variety of programming for all ages with a broad range of mental health issues.