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D.C. Jewish Community Center Volunteers Help On The Holidays

By: Rebecca Blatt // December 25, 2012
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Jazz West (left) wraps presents with her mother Tracy Martinez (right) at the D.C. Jewish Community Center. The presents were to be delivered to families at a women's shelter.
Rebecca Blatt
Jazz West (left) wraps presents with her mother Tracy Martinez (right) at the D.C. Jewish Community Center. The presents were to be delivered to families at a women's shelter.

In the past few weeks, volunteers at the DC JCC have wrapped more than 1,500 presents to be delivered to homeless shelters and senior centers across the region today.

Tracy Martinez brought her daughter to help pack up gifts for families at a women's shelter.

"It helps remind her that not all children are as blessed as she is," says Martinez.

Erica Steen, D.C. JCC's director of community service, says the holiday tradition was started by a few volunteers 25 years ago.

"The typical joke is that the only thing for Jews to do on Christmas is to go for Chinese food and a movie," she says. "These young professionals decided that they wanted to go volunteer and give back to the community."

This year JCC volunteers of many faith backgrounds will also serve meals, host a blood drive and throw holiday parties for families in need.

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