The visits are fun and the treats are yum, making Purim a joyous day for almost everyone. But for the elderly in nursing homes, who receive few if any visits, and who often cannot enjoy the goodies because of dietary restrictions, Purim can be anything but. In an effort to alleviate some of that loneliness, and encourage our girls to realize how much they can do to ease another person’s pain, Bnos Agudath Israel of America and Bnos Bikur Cholim cooperated to ensure that the annual Bnos mishloach manos campaign was more successful than ever.

In a beautiful display of achdus and chesed, high school girls from 17 schools packed sugar free hamantashen and chocolates in their schools, and then got together to deliver them to 25 nursing homes. And they weren’t the only ones who realized that sometimes giving is even more exciting than getting. 6th grades from Brooklyn Bnos and even 4th graders in Lakewood got a taste of the action as they packed their treats and delivered them, along with the smiles and giggles that were even sweeter than the packages they carried so proudly.

Kudos to the Agudist Benevolent Society, who sponsors the Bnos Bikur Cholim program in which high school girls make regular visits to nursing home seniors and to the homebound and to the participating schools.

The “little sisters” who participate in Bnos One on One a project of Bnos Agudas Yisroel sponsored by The Center for Jewish Family Life came in for their share of the fun as well. From a carnival in Lakewood to a mishloach manos exchange in Brooklyn, to dancing and a mishloach manos exchange in Monsey. All this was in addition to exciting events that were held by Bnos One on One in Baltimore, Los Angeles, Miami and Toronto. Big and Little Sisters got into the spirit of things, enjoying the activities and the special camaraderie that characterize the program.

“Fun-filled activities in a Torah environment – that’s always been the hallmark of Bnos,” says Mrs. Chana Baila Hass, national director of Bnos Agudath Israel “The packaging event was fun for the girls, proof that chesed and good times go together, and proof even a high school girl can really help others. And the Bnos One on One programs keep on proving that one on one, every single girl can make a difference.

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