WJR Packathon
KEY FACTS
More than 300 volunteers and WJR staff packed a remarkable 384 boxes full of humanitarian aid
Participants aged between 5 and 90, including 15 youth leaders from Habonim,
Since January of this year, WJR’s Gifts in Kind programme has sent 28 of these huge trailers to the Jewish community members across Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union
300 volunteers, 505 boxes...10,000 items!
After last year’s success, Sunday 18 November saw another World Jewish Relief (WJR) “Packathon” at the WJR warehouse in Neasden, as part of The Jewish Community for London (JCC) Mitzvah Day. More than 300 volunteers and WJR staff packed a remarkable 384 boxes full of humanitarian aid to be sent to the Jewish community in Belarus.
Participants aged between 5 and 90, including 15 youth leaders from Habonim, sorted and boxed thousands of new and nearly new goods - including winter clothing, children’s toys, basic sanitary items, bedding and school stationary - that have been generously donated by the UK Jewish community through WJR’s unique Gifts in Kind (GiK) humanitarian relief programme.
Simultaneously, a team of volunteers from Radlett and Bushey Reform and Radlett United Synagogues ran a parallel Packathon, filling an impressive 121 boxes with donations that they have sourced from their local community.
Rosalind Bluestone, who heads WJR’s Gifts in Kind programme said:
“We are constantly seeking more help from both donors and volunteers. We are desperate for regular helpers to sort and pack, and also drivers with a few hours a week to spare with light collections. Unfortunately, the need is ongoing, and we call on the UK community to help us to rise to the challenge and help us provide this vital lifeline of aid.”
Since January of this year, WJR’s Gifts in Kind programme has sent 28 of these huge trailers to the Jewish community members across Eastern Europe and the Former Soviet Union, including to Serbia, Moldova, Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, and Hungary – a record for the charity and a lifeline for so many.
