Homelessness

Group Chair: Scott Edlein                                        Clergy Liaison: Rabbi Sam Kaye

The Temple's RSJI Homelessness group works on issues of homelessness in Atlanta, with a special emphasis on supporting our very own center for couples experiencing homelessness, the Zaban Paradies Center. We are always looking for more volunteers and leaders; please email us with any questions or to get involved!

Our goals:

• To support the Zaban Paradies Center by organizing members to help provide for the needs of our residents, including regular dinner cooking and serving, holiday celebrations, and various types of job training and therapeutic assistance.
• To create awareness in The Temple community about the collateral effects of poverty and homelessness on children and their families through educational programs and direct action. 

How we accomplished these goals:

• The Homelessness group has been an essential part of the volunteer corps for the Zaban Paradies Center. We enjoy creating meals to serve to our residents there. 
• We partner with the Women’s Rights group and the Public Education group to throw a Period Pack Party, a gathering in which donated feminine supplies are sorted and packed into distributable packages. This program began after we realized that many young women were missing a week of school each month for lack of these essential supplies.
• We partner with the Backpack Buddies, alongside the Homelessness group, to provide students in public schools with backpacks full of food to feed their families. Each week, backpacks are packed full of canned foods and dropped off at schools that have been identified as serving the students at greatest risk of hunger.