Jason Bergman from Bellmore, NY had a great idea when it came to his Mitzvah Project. He and his family are collecting cans and bottles and redeeming then. They will then donate all the money earned to OHEL.
We spoke to Jason to learn more about his Mitzvah Project:
MM: Does your project have a start and end date, if so what are they?:
JB: We have been collecting cans for a while and already have 12,000. My project will end on June 30, 2010.
MM: Why did you decide to take on this particular project/charity?
JB: I decided to follow in my sisters footsteps. It is a fun project and my whole family gets involved doing it.
MM: In your own words, what does it mean to you to do a Mitzvah Project for your Bar Mitzvah?
JB: It means a lot to me. I am very lucky that my parents are able to do things for me but I know that there are a lot of kids that are not that lucky. It is all about doing something nice for someone else. That is what they have taught us at Hebrew School all these years.
MM: Can you give us details of your Mitzvah Project?
JB: I sent out a letter to all my friends and family to tell them about my project. We are collecting water and soda bottles and soda cans for their 5 cent redemption. Then every week we go to the supermarket and turn them in for cash. Once we have ended the project, I am going to match whatever I raise with money that I receive as gifts from my Bar Mitzvah. This money will be sent to a Jewish organization to help a less fortunate child have a Bar Mitzvah of their own.
Jason in action, depositing his collected cans
MM: If it involves a donation, what are you doing to spreading the word?
JB: We are spreading the word through e-mail mostly and then word of mouth. My friends are helping and even people I don’t know have gotten involved because they think it is a great idea.
MM: Anything else we need to know about your Mitzvah Project?
JB: The only thing that I want to say is that every bottle or can helps. It helps the environment too because most people just throw this stuff away. I am having a lot of fun doing this too. So many of my friends have gotten involved and have helped me too. One weekend we collected over 1200 cans and bottles! The only people that aren’t happy are the ones behind us on line at the redemption center!
Thanks Jason. Your idea is a simple one with a big impact!
