Community Magazine September 2012

To volunteer for the mitzvah man go to www.mitzvah -man.org or call 347-275-1490 Mitzvah Man – Teen Edition When a 16-year-old young man asked to join the team, the Mitzvah Man was happy to receive the request, but quick to set reasonable expectations. Mitzvah Man explained that most requests require driving, and other tasks that are typically beyond the reach of teens. In general, theMitzvahMan explained, he does not have many things for teens to do. Still, this young hero insisted that he wanted to be included in the hesed operation. ”Please put me on your list,” he said. “You never know when something will come up.” The very next day, MitzvahMan received a request fromawomanwhose husband had a stroke andwould be hospitalized for threeweeks. She needed someone to helpwith her three small children every day from5 to 7pm.MitzvahMan’s adult volunteers are typically busy with their own children during this time. Who would have time, five days a week, during “family rush-hour,” to care for three little kids, helping themwith homework, giving them baths and feeding them? Mitzvah Man sent the request to 100 volunteers asking who could help. He received only one response... from the very same teenager who had volunteered the day before. Within two hours, that youngman arranged a schedule of various young heroes to go and help the family every day for the entire three-week period! Amazed by the swiftness of his actions, the Mitzvah Man called the teenaged hero to ask how he did it. How did he get so many people to help so quickly and efficiently? The youngster explained that he has his own text list of 450 budding teen heroes (!) who want to do good deeds. As soon as he received the text from Mitzvah Man, he sent out a request and 20 teens quickly responded. The young man added that from now on, all the Mitzvah Man needs to do when a “teen friendly” mitzvah comes up, is call him and hewould then coordinate thewhole operation... The next generation of Mitzvah Man heroes have arrived! Mitzvah Man and His Shadow Awoman arrived at theMitzvahMan headquarters in a panic. She said she didn’t know what to do because she urgently needed a shadow for her special needs child, but just couldn’t find the right person for the job. It seemed a challenging request, finding someone with the skills, patience, time and desire to carry out this demanding responsibility. Yet Mitzvah Man appeared unfazed – rather the request was received with excitement and inspiration as proof of Hashem’s obvious involvement in the Mitzvah Man’s holy work. It turns out that the previous day, a new hero called to join the Mitzvah Man’s team of volunteers. When asked what his specialty was, the young man replied that he takes care of special needs children, working as a shadow. So when the Mitzvah Man received the woman’s request the next day, he wasted no time referring his newest hero to the mission, thus completing a match that was surely made in Heaven. “It took less than a day for the Mitzvah Man to find me the mission for which I‛m best suited – working with children!” 62 Community Magazine