FEATURED JOBS
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This past Sunday, Sept. 23, 170 volunteers turned out for The Associated’s annual phone-a-thon from 9 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. at the Park Heights JCC. A total of $1,351,295 was raised.
Spending their mornings at the event were phoning ‘old-timers’ Marjorie Greenebaum and Dr. Andrew Conn. Greenebaum, 85, said she’s been raising funds for The Associated since
before she was married — more than 60 years ago! Greenebaum said she used to walk door-to-door asking people from the neighborhood, then downtown Baltimore, for a donation.
“Five of us women would load up in one man’s car. The Associated would give each woman a rose to wear. Then, he would take all of us to one block and we would get out. We went to each house [to ask for money],” she said.
Greenebaum recalled how one year she knocked on a certain door and the woman told her that she was actually in need of help; Greenebaum was able to connect the woman with the right people for assistance.
“I am a believer in asking for money [for Jewish causes]. Sure, they may have another charity — and I respect that. But I call anyway,” she said.
Conn, 77, is one of the Super Sunday founders. He began calling in 1957 as part of his young leadership program, and he has been coming back pretty much every year since.
“When my two sons were little, they were here as [card] runners,” said Conn with a laugh, noting that he thinks Super Sunday is “like a party.”
Conn said he finds it a thousand times easier to call in a public venue.
“It’s a lot harder to make one call from home than it is to make dozens here,” he said.
This year, The Associated offered donors the opportunity to make their donations via phone, texting or the Internet. For those Jewish Baltimoreans who were not available on Sunday to take the call, donations can be made online at http://www.associated.org/donate.