Join the A.R.K Project

 

The Rebbe places a coin in the large Charity Box at Lubavitch World Headquarters 

​The Lubavitcher Rebbe set an example for how society can heal itself from within.

Through nurturing the inherent goodness within everything and cultivating the latent empathy we all possess, we can change ourselves and the world around us for the better, ushering in an era of global peace and tranquility for all.

Tzedaka - charitable giving - is a constant theme in the Rebbe's teachings and became a campaign to educate everyone to become a giver.

The ARK Giving Project in Kelowna is inspired by and a result of the Rebbe's clarion call to inspire humanity to greater moral and ethical heights through positive and consistent action.

From Acts of Random Kindness 

To Acts of ROUTINE Kindness

A.R.K. Project in action at a local Kelowna School with Rabbi SHmuly Hecht of Chabad Okanagan

Creating a Stronger Culture through Giving

The philosophy:

-- People are more influenced by the things they do than by the knowledge they are taught.

-- Compassion and kindness are strengthened by consistency. Giving small amounts of charity every day causes one to become a giver.

-- Childhood is the prime time to cultivate compassion and kindness.

-- Children also influence adults to do the same. This creates a stronger culture of giving in our community and society.

-- Having a dedicated charity box to place money into every single day , provides a visual reminder of the importance of giving.

Everyone is concerned about the increased polarization in our society which leads to intolerance and hatred that can have deadly consequences. In order to change the trajectory of the way things are going we need to nip hatred in the bud. Providing more opportunities for children to express compassion and kindness through consistent action is one way of combating hatred. When someone becomes a giver at a young age, it’s impossible to hate others so blindly. 

​-- Giving charity every day has proven to generate a greater sense of compassion.  

How A.R.K. works in Kelowna:

​​-- Every child is given their own personal (blank) coloured charity holder (in the shape  of an ark) to collect coins at home.

-- They are encouraged to place a coin in their ark every day.

-- When it fills up, they should count the money and donate it to the poor, or to a worthy organization of their choice.

-- Optional: Schools can choose to collect the monies of all the ARKs, either as a class, or as a school, and donate one large a mount to an organization chosen by the administration or by the student body through a vote.

-- Although the giving happens at home, ARK motivates classroom discussions and school projects about kindness.

Schools have chosen to incorporate ARK in year-long school-wide Kindness Projects.

Ideas include:

-- Writing assignments about ARK. School-wide or classroom based.

-- ARK Giving Board. Children post names of organizations they donated to (without mentioning amounts).

-- Kindness Tree.  Children bring notes stating acts of kindness they did the previous day and they are taped to  a large tree on the wall. (Primarily for younger children.) 

Email Rabbi Shmuly Hecht for testimonials and to learn more about bringing this FREE non-denominational program to your school.