By Wendy Weissman

It hasn’t even started snowing yet, but it is time to think about xmas at the Mercy Home. Once again this year, we will be taking shifts at the local Domestic Violence Shelter for Women (Mercy Home) so that the dedicated 24-7 staff at the Mercy Home can spend xmas with their families.

Here are shifts we need to fill:

Saturday 12/24 2-5 PM
Saturday 12/24 5-8 PM
Saturday 12/24 8-11 PM

Sunday 12/25: 8-11 AM
Sunday 12/25: 11 AM to 2 PM
Sunday 12/25: 2-5 PM

Because Chanukkah falls during Christmas this year, the annual Chanukkah party that is traditionally held on the Saturday of Chanukkah has been moved to Friday, 12/23, so that we can continue to perform this mitzvah and the volunteer does not have to miss the party.

Men are welcome with an accompanying female (to comply with the Mercy Home rules). For those of you who have never done this before, it is a great mitzvah to help out with the Mercy Home and the women who reside at the shelter. Duties include answering the phone (a script is provided, and an on-call staff member is available if you need help), monitoring the alarms, and signing residents in and out. Residents often stay with friends or family members during the holiday, so there typically have been only 1 or 2 residents on the premises. There have been many xmas’s with no residents, so make sure to bring a book to read or a movie to watch.

If you are able to help, or have any questions, please contact me (Wendy Weissman) at 727-4098 or wendy@weissman.com. The location of the shelter is confidential, so once I have the volunteer list, I will tell you where you need to be.