Have you ever wanted to help your community? That is what Mitzvah Day Pittsburgh is. You can go and help out in the Squirrel Hills, in the South Hills, McKeesport, and other locations. It is all mostly in the greater Pittsburgh area. This year, there are 35 sites to help out around. It mostly happens around Christmas time. In the last couple years, they had an event in the afternoon of Christmas Day.  

Mitzvah Day, a day in December, usually Dec. 25, is a day to help out in your community. Mitzvah in Hebrew means a “good deed done from religious duty”, or as most people know it, as a commandment. It is completely optional to do, but is nice to do to help out in your neighborhood, city, or community. Now, you might wonder why it is Pittsburgh who does this and not some other city? Well, that is because the organization that runs this, is based in Pittsburgh.

This is all run by the Jewish Federation of Greater Pittsburgh. This year, they are also partnering with Za’kiyah House to make this all happen. Za’kiyah House is another organization dedicated to helping others. They help people combat homelessness, addictions, and recidivism in the Pittsburgh area. 

“When I was at Penn State, I did a Penn State day of service which was similar, which was a large group from Penn State that would go and help in the community,” Ms. Emily Rickard, five through 12 band instructor said.  

I really like to help people and it’s nice to be a part of a group where everyone in it also likes to help others,” Ms. Rickard also said. 

Some of the ways you can help out are making sandwiches for homeless people, cleaning toys for daycares, or what most people do, donating blood for a blood drive. You can do that at churchs, some temples do it, but other places do it as well.