Many members of JFM’S Active Adults Hiking Group led busy working lives before retirement, so multi-tasking is almost second nature. Using these multi-tasking skills, the group now combines each monthly hike in or around Dane County with an organized act of Tzedakah.

“After all,” says Catherine Copp, who, with Marsha Cohen, serves as a co-volunteer organizer of the hiking group, “we are a Jewish group and a natural expression of that is to incorporate Tzedekah into our activities.”

The hikers’ Tzedakah projects began in spring 2025 when the group gathered for a potluck lunch to kick off the hiking season. In addition to eating, socializing, and learning the season’s plans, hikers collected 85 pairs of new socks, which were donated to Porchlight (https://www.porchlightinc.org/), an organization that strives to reduce homelessness in Dane County. Last winter, the hiking group began working regularly with WayForward Resources (https://www.wayforwardresources.org/), a Middleton-based organization that works to create food security and housing stability for people in Dane County (or parts of the county). At a December potluck, hikers collected spices and condiments, items that help make meals tasty but are not in the WF budget. At the February potluck, hikers collected boxed cereals, always a popular item at the WF pantry. This summer, the hiking group’s Tzedakah project will extend to the hiking season itself. For each of the eight hikes planned for 2026, hikers are encouraged to donate full-size personal care items such as shampoo, conditioner, soap, toothpaste, toothbrushes, and period products, as well as laundry detergent and related supplies. These collected items will be donated to WayForward and available to those who use WF’s pantry and other services. Personal care items are often pricey but cannot be purchased with SNAP (“food stamp”) dollars, and WayForward’s budget doesn’t extend to buying them. By donating personal care items, hikers will help make essential items for a healthy and dignified life available to members of our community who might otherwise go without.

“In Judaism, the value and dignity of every individual is a core belief,” says volunteer organizer Copp. “Our summer Tzedakah project recognizes that belief in a tangible way.”

Written by Catherine Copp, co-volunteer organizer of JFM's Active Jewish Adults