JCorps is an international social volunteer network of thousands of Jewish young adults, aged 18–28. It is currently active in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles, Denver, Boulder, Montreal, Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Kiev, Russia, London and Toronto. It is non-religious, non-denominational, and independent of any other organization.
To date, JCorps has had volunteers from over 180 colleges and universities, over 500 companies, and over 20 countries.
Volunteers feed the hungry in soup kitchens, entertain the elderly in senior centers, play with children in hospitals, and clean and improve the landscapes of city parks, among other activities.
Volunteers are notified about events via email and Facebook invite and must sign up at the JCorps website, to attend any event.
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JCorps is considered the first "Social Volunteer Network" in the world. It volunteers in groups of 20, so that volunteers can "Make Friends, and Make a Difference." (JCorps' motto).
JCorps' mission is to enable young Jewish adults to connect while making a difference through volunteering. It provides a low-pressure, high-activity environment where people can get to know each other while working on a shared task.
JCorps International, Inc. was founded in December, 2006[1] in New York City by award-winning comedian Ari Teman.[2][3] It began as a website and Facebook Group and quickly grew to thousands of members. In May 2008, JCorps began operations in Montreal,[4] and in July 2008 it opened in Jerusalem and Toronto. JCorps held its first event in Washington D.C. in September, 2009.[5]
On August 7, 2008, JCorps was invited to Gracie Mansion, the official residence of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, for a barbecue to honor volunteers.
Until, April 12, 2010, JCorps was entirely volunteer-run. On April 12, 2010, JCorps hired its first staff person, a COO, to support the volunteer Division Leaders and Team Leaders around the world.