Networking Community by Caring for Others

Hillel’s Engagement Interns deliver hot, free soup to sick students (and sometimes their roommates) on campus. Using a form on the Hillel website, parents or students can request a delivery of Matzo Ball Soup Express. 

Visiting the sick is a widely held practice to relieve isolation and reassure a person. The shared value of caring for those in need in our community lies at the heart of one Hillel Peer Network Engagement Intern’s project. Reaching out to students, where they are, across campus, especially in a time of need, demonstrates our humanity. The physical presence of a caring fellow student eases feelings of isolation and loneliness by providing tangible evidence of a concerned community.

Hillel’s Peer Network Engagement Intern program builds community by reaching out to students across campus. Each Engagement Intern uses their network to build relationships and help other students connect with what matters to them on campus and on their journey. Each Intern receives training in leadership skills, community building, interpersonal interactions, active listening and creative problem solving at national conferences and during on-campus training. The annual cost for training, travel, and talent development is $1,800/intern. Matzo Ball Soup Express is just one of the many ways Interns have developed to connect and create a network of caring for students across campus.