The Davis Academy in Sandy Springs recently collected more than 160 coats of all sizes, as well as bags of hats, scarves, gloves and socks, for Simple Needs GA’s clients.
“Our students were particularly concerned and alarmed to think of kids their age and families like their own not having warm clothes for winter,” said Rabbi Micah Lapidus, Davis Academy’s Rabbi and Director of Jewish and Hebrew Studies. It’s the largest Reform Jewish day school in the country and the largest K-8 academic organization in Georgia.
“The need for winter outerwear in our community is always high, and it’s fantastic to get so many high-quality items this early in the season,” said SNGA Founder and Executive Director Brenda Rhodes. “Now we’re all set to give warm clothing to our clients who come by for household items. We’ll also be sharing these donations with our collaborating agencies such as LiveSAFE Resources. Any new hats, gloves and scarves could be used for our Spirit of Christmas program as well. Thanks so much to everyone at The Davis Academy!”
The SNGA drive, which ran Sept. 25 to Oct. 2, coincided with the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The school, Rabbi Micah explains, strives to have a social action component to all of its holidays. “We want our students to understand that no holiday celebration is complete unless we think about others and take action toward making the world a better place,” he said.
The drive was a collaborative effort involving the parent teacher organization, as well as the year-old Tzedek (righteousness) committee. “This committee is responsible for planning community service programs throughout the school year, giving our school community an opportunity to get involved and to give back,” Rabbi Micah said. (Davis Academy parents Kathleen Hoff, Celia Chase and Leah Golub (pictured, with her daughter Eva) are the committee organizers for 2018-19’.)
According to Rabbi Micah, the school believes communities are stronger when people work together. “We pride ourselves on lifting up and supporting the work of organizations like SNGA,” he said. “We want our students to understand how we make a difference in this world so that they can carry on this legacy themselves.”
Thanks again to The Davis Academy for its support of people in need!
Simple Needs GA 