Chabad of Markham Builds Kids of Character
How do you raise kids of character? How do you teach your kids the value of giving back to their community? Where can you find hands on opportunities to make sandwiches for the underprivileged in the community as a family with kids between 5 and 16 years old? Chabad-Lubavitch of Markham decided to help parents find solutions to these questions and on November 1st, 2015 launched their Tikkun Olam Program under the leadership of Mattie Schurder, youth coordinator of CLOM.
The Tikkun Olam program is designed to create opportunities for families with children aged 5- 16 years old, to embrace real life experiences, away from the virtual world that kids live in today, and to spend quality time, giving back to their community. When children are hands on involved with giving to others, they gain as much as they give. Through making sandwiches for the less fortunate to packing food items at the annual Passover drive, the Tikkun Olam program enables parents to build kids of character.
For their first event, CLOM partnered with Ve’ahavta (a Jewish charity service), to make sandwiches for the homeless in Toronto. Over 120 people attended the opening event. Sitting side by side next to their parents and friends, the families participating in the Tikkun Olam program, made 503 sandwiches and over 100 cards to be attached to each sandwich bag.
The response was overwhelming but as they say, kids say it best. “I felt great. I always get things and now it was my time to give back to people who don’t have as much as we do”, said Cody Solomon. Joanne Herr, mother of 3 children said, “Watching my children making sandwiches for the less fortunate, watching the excitement grow with each sandwich being produced, was priceless.”
“We are very excited to be bringing this program to the community. We look forward to welcoming anyone who wants to show their children the gift of giving back. Children learn through our actions and Tikkun Olam is a very exciting platform to enable parents in our community to “walk the walk.” said Allison Solomon, co-chair, Chabad of Markham Sisterhood.
