Volunteering in the name of your departed loved ones is a tremendous source of merit for the soul. Here are a few worthy organizations.
Chai Lifeline
http://www.chailifeline.org/volunteer.php
Background
Chai Lifeline was founded in 1986 by one very dynamic and talented man, Rabbi Simcha Scholar. Chai Lifeline began with its pilot program, a summer camp for children suffering from cancer, known as Camp Simcha. The camp provided resources, staff and an environment exactly tailored to suit the special needs of these sick kids.
Camp Simcha was an overwhelming success. Not only did it offer the opportunity for seriously ill children to have the time of their lives, it provided beleaguered families with a much-needed respite of several weeks.
The overwhelming response to Camp Simcha was an indication of the tremendous need for such services all year round, not only for cancer victims but for children suffering from all types of serious illness. Chai Lifeline evolved rapidly, identifying the various needs of ill children and their families, and creating the programs to satisfy those needs. Today, Chai Lifeline is an international organization with four regional branches in the United States, associate branches in Israel and Europe, and twenty-four separate programs. Chai Lifeline has earned the acclaim of doctors, therapists, and community leaders, as well as the unending gratitude of thousands and thousands of children and families.
Families of children with serious illness face a host of challenges on numerous fronts, challenges that immeasurably compound the difficulty of their arduous struggle of combating the disease itself. Chai Lifeline addresses the full spectrum of needs, from logistical to social, recreational to psychological. Chai Lifeline reaches out not only to patients, but also to parents, siblings, classmates, school faculty, and the community as well.
Tomchei Shabbos of Queens
http://www.tsqinc.org
For more than twenty five years, TSQ has provided food packages on a weekly basis to needy families & individuals throughout Queens, NY. A pilot project is underway to expand the service into Long Island. Presently, approximately 350 packages are delivered weekly.
Who are the recipients ?
The scope of recipients varies widely. She may be a woman with children whose husband has left...or an elderly couple on a very limited pension...a family whose breadwinner has suddenly lost his or her job...families where illness saps the resources...and other cases of despair. The common denominator is need.
Who refers our recipients ?
Local clergy who come in close contact with problem cases.
School principals and teachers who see children come to school without breakfast.
Social workers who deal with human needs on a daily basis.
Who are we ?
We are all volunteers. We are working people with families of our own. We are single and starting out in life. We are students. Some of us are retired from our jobs & professions. We all share in the care of our " extended family "-those among us who are in need.
