People Helping People: Kol Hadash Brings Order to A Safe Place

At first sight, the storage room of A Safe Place embodied overwhelming disorder and unease, much like the emotions victims may feel when seeking refuge from domestic abuse. But on a recent fall weekend, Kol Hadash Humanistic Congregation members and friends participated in a community service day that brought organization and aid to A Safe Place.

“Kol Hadash couldn’t have been more fantastic,” said Amanda Thomas, A Safe Place Giving Specialist.

"We did a simple task with tremendous importance," said teen volunteer Amy Talman. "We worked to pave a way for the women and children at A Safe Place to receive the care they need to make a better life.”

A Safe Place serves domestic violence victims of Lake County, Illinois through various programs to transform their lives, prevent future abuse, and educate the community about violence. Volunteers are appreciated as they bring many hands to work and provide assistance in projects that otherwise would be impossible to complete.

In an afternoon, Kol Hadash volunteers transformed a cluttered storage room into an orderly, functional space for A Safe Place.  Kol Hadash, a Jewish congregation, is a community of humanists that believes in the power of people and their ability to make a positive difference in the world. Their community service day at A Safe Place did just that as part of a “Week of Hope,” sponsored by a network of Lake County congregations.

Upon arrival, Kol Hadash Community Service Chair Susan Addelson recalled, “Amanda (Thomas) took us into a storage room that looked like something from a hoarder house. There were so many boxes and bags on the floor that it was almost impossible for more than one person to walk in the room at a time. Our job was to organize the storage room. It's amazing what 15 people can accomplish in just three hours. Truly, we worked nonstop.”

Kari Skloot, Director of Development at A Safe Place, was astonished to see their progress at the end of the day.  “This is awesome," she said. "I cannot tell you how much of a difference this makes.”

Working together on behalf of A Safe Place brought great joy and meaning to the volunteers from Kol Hadash. Addelson acknowledged, “Cleaning out a storage room is not very glamorous, but I don’t think anyone did this for the glamour or the glory.” Jeremy Gibson added, “I enjoyed the opportunity to be of some help to A Safe Place. It’s special to have the chance to contribute in any way to such a great organization.”

Kol Hadash and its members are committed to service and improving the world around them, and have supported A Safe Place for four years through annual food collections at their High Holiday celebrations and ongoing volunteer work. Community involvement provides a feeling of fulfillment for the volunteers and everlasting gratitude from those being aided.

 "It was a very memorable day for me," said volunteer Michelle Fishman. “We’ll be back at A Safe Place in November to help set up their holiday store, and again in the spring to clear the garden we planted a few years ago," Addelson said proudly. "Their needs are never-ending, and so is our support." Members, friends and guests of Kol Hadash are welcome to join in. For more information about getting involved, contact Kol Hadash at communityservice@kolhadash.com.