Going Places!: Friendship, Fun and Volunteering for the Community
by Alison Pasternak
At the Pozez Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Northern Virginia, there is an active social group for people with disabilities. The group is called Going Places!. And yes, the exclamation point is an important part of the name! The group meets once a month to connect- they socialize and catch up on what is going on in each other’s lives, and to participate in some fun activity. Most of the time, the group, true to its name, goes to places, but sometimes they meet at the JCC. Going Places! is a social group where people come to find acceptance, community, friendship, and fun.
In November, to echo the spirit of gratitude that is abundant at this time of year, and to include the Jewish value of gemilut chasadim (acts of loving kindness), the Going Places! group met at the JCC to work on a volunteer activity coordinated with the J’s Volunteer Services program. The event, called ‘Cupcakes and Kindness’, brought participants together to decorated cupcakes that were later donated to a local organization called Second Story for Teens Shelter, which serves teens in crisis.
After learning a little about the mission of Second Story, this group of mostly young adults, with a couple mature teens that joined in on the fun, learned cupcake decorating techniques and created art with icing, candy, and decorations. Everyone took great efforts to make beautiful cupcakes that they were sure would make the teens at Second Story smile with delight when they saw them. And don’t be mistaken, the Going Places! friends made sure to make enough cupcakes so they could have some for themselves. So many cupcakes were decorated that there were even enough to bring some home to family and community members at a group home.
The cupcakes were delivered to Second Story that week and the staff were so appreciative of the beautiful work and kindness shown by the Going Places! members.
Alison Pasternak is the Inclusion & Disability Services Program Coordinator at the Pozez Jewish Community Center (JCC) of Northern Virginia.