Twice a school year, I wake up early to deliver food to older people who can't easily go out. It may sound crazy to people who don't like to wake up early on Sunday mornings, but it really is rewarding.

Sunday mornings before Hanukkah and Passover, all the high school kids who go to Hebrew School meet outside the synagogue office to wait for the bus. It takes 45 minutes to get to the Dorot building in the west side of New York City. Dorot means "generations." All the kids have a 15-minute orientation and get cards with an older person's name and phone number on it. Then we pick up the package of food to deliver to that person. We then call the person to see if it is okay to come visit.

Usually the apartments are within a few blocks from the Dorot building. We walk with our group of three or four to the apartment building and visit our elder person.

The last time I went, my friends and I visited Herman Smiley. He was, in fact, smiling, which was a good sign.

It is such a rewarding feeling when I see the smiling face of an older person, who may not have any family. They really appreciate the conversations we have, and especially the time we take from our day to visit someone we don't even know. fl