December 2024
Cindy Richter 

Many weeks before our first meal service in November, Out of the Cold volunteers and supporters start to get excited for a new season feeding those in need in Hamilton. When asked if they will be returning to help out, our volunteers always answer, “Yes, where else would I be?”  It is that spark of enthusiasm which is, after 25 years, what we are programmed for!

Collective effervescence is a term coined by French sociologist Emile Durkheim more than 100 years ago.  It is a process of synchronization and intensification of emotions among individuals that occurs during participation in collective rituals. Durkheim considered it a central component of collective behavior by which society empowers individuals to cope. In our present day we really need this feeling of energy and harmony when people are engaged in a shared purpose.

Collective effervescence flows from our team to the kitchen island to the stove and ovens to the ladles over the bowls to the closings of the dinner containers to the assembly line where takeaway bags contain the collective sighs of relief that are bound to our guests.  

Very often, guests are curious about the volunteers and the means we have to create the meals that they receive. Humbly, we reply that the Hamilton Jewish community has been honoured for 25 winters to feed and clothe, shelter and give the warmth of a smile.

Your involvement is greatly needed.  Toiletries for our Chanukah “loot bags,” socks, warm hats and gloves (adult sizes only) can all be dropped off at JHamilton.  Celebrate an important person or milestone with a donation to the Beth Jacob Out of the Cold fund by calling 905-522-1351. Our meals make an immediate difference in the lives of people whom you have never met. For further inspiration, visit our site at Erskine Presbyterian Church or email c-richter@sympatico.ca. Chag Chanukah Sameach.