DENVER — Hundreds of volunteers from the local Jewish community helped Christian workers throughout the Denver metro area take Christmas Day off.
The Christmas Mitzvah Project is an annual volunteer event. This year, more than 650 volunteers worked at more than 30 nonprofits and healthcare facilities to ensure that those employees spent Christmas at home with their families.
Volunteers cook meals, clean, and facilitate activities at locations in Denver and Boulder.
Christmas Mitzvah Project Lead Susan Chayet said this year they had more volunteers than expected.
“It keeps growing, and growing, and growing and this year is our largest year yet with 650-plus volunteers. And people just keep reading about it and hearing about it and they want to participate. It’s so much fun for the whole family,” Chayet said.
Chayet said the event is called the Christmas Mitzvah Project because "mitzvah" means "good deed."
Volunteers do not have to have special skills and people of all faiths were welcome to participate.
“My hope is that people will take this and carry it with them into the new year. I think any time of year is a good time of year to do a good deed, especially during the holidays, when not everyone is as fortunate,” Chayet said.
Shifts varied from facility to facility, but most end at 5:00 p.m. on Christmas Day.