THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 4, 1997 TAG: 9701040002
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Letter
LENGTH: 38 lines
The article ``A Lesson for Christmas'' (MetroNews, Dec. 26) on people volunteering on Christmas Day to help the less fortunate was inspirational. Unfortunately, your decision to print an AP wire-service article (from Richmond, no less) may leave some with the impression that such activities do not occur in the Hampton Roads area. Of course, this could not be further from the truth.
Hampton Roads' Salvation Army, Union Mission and NEST program for the homeless, to name just a few, have countless stories of volunteers sharing their time on Christmas Day to help the needy.
The local Jewish community is no less active volunteering their time. The Project Ahava (Hebrew for ``love''), sponsored by the United Jewish Federation of Tidewater, mobilized more than 150 Jewish volunteers to prepare and serve holiday dinners at seven local shelters and centers serving the needy. Students from the Hebrew Academy of Tidewater brought in new toys and clothing distributed at Project Ahava sites. At the Beth Sholom Home of Eastern Virginia in Virginia Beach, the 17th annual ``Switch Day'' brought in more than 100 volunteers working in the kitchen, serving meals, caring for residents and answering phones.
These volunteers performed the mitzvah (good deed) of helping those less fortunate while at the same time making it possible for Christian employees and shelter volunteers to be at home with their families.
We do not need to look to the wire services for examples of humanity and caring. They exist in the Hampton Roads area, and we can be very proud of that.
MARK L. GOLDSTEIN
Executive vice president
United Jewish Federation
of Tidewater
Norfolk, Dec. 26, 1996