Ahavat Chinam Alert! Acts of loving kindness for the Three Weeks!

Since the Beit Hamikdash was destroyed due to baseless hatred (Yoma 9b), Solu tries to infuse the Three Weeks with acts of "boundless love" -- service projects that bring food, supplies, and loving kindness to those who need it across our city.

LET KINDNESS BLOOM

 

Solu visited the West Side today to pick flowers and do farm work for Southside Blooms, a nonprofit that employs low-income youth in the neighborhood. We were cultivating an old vacant lot adjoining the Cook County Jail, working along side the young farm crew. We had fun spreading some ahavat chinam / love from our community outwards during the Nine Days. 

DIABETES TESTING AND BLOOD DRIVE

Huge thanks to our Solu volunteers for giving their time to support free healthcare for Rohingya refugees on Friday. Our volunteers helped out at the Rohingya Cultural Center at a diabetes testing event, building another bridge between the observant Jewish community and our Rohingya neighbors, who fled terrible religious persecution in Myanmar before settling in West Rogers Park.

Yasher koach and huge thanks to the dozens of people who signed up to give blood today as part of Solu's Three Weeks blood drive! It was our largest one yet!

Not only that, but some attendees also wove in a little extra chesed by writing cards for underpriviliged students at Gads Hill Center on the South Side who will recieved school supplies from Solu on Tisha b'Av! 

SHELTER SUPPORT

In mid-July, a storm with dozens of tornados swept through Chicago. It hit hard at Margaret's Village shelter on the South Side, knocking out power and flooding the dining hall. The shelter needed to provide emergency meals for its residents. Our community members hadn't heard of the shelter before, let alone visited, but when they (you!) learned that their neighbors were in need, they leaped into action. Within a couple of hours, Solu raised more than $550 to provide dinner and lunch for the 50 women and kids at the shelter!

We're excited to continue partnering with Margaret's Village, which does incredible, thankless work helping homeless residents of the South Side return to a life of self-reliance. They fulfill Yishayahu's call of עֲנִיִּ֥ים מְרוּדִ֖ים תָּ֣בִיא בָ֑יִת..."bring home the homeless poor" (Isaiah 58:7).

THE CHESED CONTINUES

What a wonderful way to conclude Solu's Three Weeks of Ahavat Chinam!