Hesed Cooks @ Home
Drop-off on Sunday, February 21

Adas Cooks at Home

Cook for a cause! The Adas Israel Hesed Committee and Social Action Committee are joining forces to deliver food to our community partners. Although we cannot cook in the Adas kitchen during the pandemic, we can still cook at home, then bring the food to Adas where it will then be delivered to those in need. 
 
Now more than ever our efforts to provide healthy meals to those who need them are truly appreciated! Do a mitzvah in your home by preparing the food, and we will continue your mitzvah by making sure the food gets to those in need in the community.
 
For our February cooking event:
•    Cook any time once you have the recipes. 
•    Prepare one or both dishes and as many as you want of each. It is very important you follow the directions for how to prepare, wrap and freeze the food. Once the food arrives at Adas, we add ingredient labels before sending it on its way.
•    Deliver the frozen food you make to the Adas parking lot on Sunday, February 21 between 10am - 12pm.

Recipes and instructions for cooking and delivery available here.

For our Adas Cooks @ Home events, food is delivered to the following community partner organizations our Social Action Committee works closely with: 

Anne Frank House - This independent non-profit organization provides permanent housing and other support including food to formerly homeless individuals. Currently 11 people, who have chronic mental illness, live in their own comfortable apartments provided by Anne Frank House.   

Adas-Behrend Senior Fellowship Participants - Adas Israel, in partnership with the Jewish Council on the Aging, and the DCJCC, offers a hot lunch and programs for seniors each weekday. These daily programs are for D.C. residents aged 60 and over. The in-person meal program has been suspended throughout the pandemic, and seniors receive their meals directly through the DC Department of Aging. 

International Rescue Committee (IRC) – Through the IRC in Silver Spring, MD, Adas Israel helps serve recently arrived refugee families, easing the difficult transition to a new homeland by offering tutoring, help with job searches, transportation support and other services along with friendship. So far, Adas has mentored five refugee families from Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and Congo, and we are forming new teams now to assist even more newly settled families. For more information on how to become a mentor, please visit www.adasisrael.org/socialaction.

Martinsburg Union Rescue Mission – Just one hour from DC, the mission provides a residential program to help individuals formerly addicted to opioids develop social skills, self-esteem and positive work ethics. In addition, the mission provides meals at their facility to anyone in need, including many families affected by high unemployment, the opioid crisis and the pandemic.
   
Sasha Bruce Youthwork (SBY), established in 1974 is one of the largest and most experienced providers of services to youth in Washington, DC. Sasha Bruce helps young people find safe homes, achieve and maintain good physical and mental health, create and strengthen supportive and stable families, and explore opportunities in education and careers.  Our Hesed food will go to the Drop In Center which works with 40-50 young people and where they can eat breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Besides preparing food for these youths, SBY welcomes notes of encouragement and inspiration to these youths who are vulnerable.  These notes will be given to the youth in their Drop In Center.

TraRon Center - The TraRon Center after-school program provides a safe, supportive space for elementary school children affected by gun violence. During this pandemic, the Center has created a learning pod for children who are significantly behind and in need of support.

Ward 3 Mutual Aid - This organization is part of a grassroots response to COVID-19 in Washington DC. We are a collective of neighbors helping neighbors & organizing to build a just and equitable city.

The need for food is great at this time, so we are planning to continue Adas Cooks at Home as a monthly program. We hope you will cook this month and every month. The food you make does make a difference in the lives of many people!   Thank you for cooking for a cause.