The Mitzvah Man
I got to know Al Salem A”H four years ago, shortly after he had stumbled upon a Mitzvah Man ad and decided to see if we could help him. Al was lonely. He had never been married and had no one to talk to. The first time we spoke, he requested that the organization find someone to take him to a Verizon storein a snow storm. His phone was not working properly and he needed to have it fixed. I gladly accepted the task and was able to find a volunteer to take Al to the Verizon store in Bayridge. Needless to say, he was thrilled and shocked that someone would volunteer to take a stranger to the store in a snow storm!
After that first encounter, Al didn’t stop calling. He would call us to request help with errands or just for someone to talk to. Al loved company. Many volunteers enjoyed visiting with him and listening to the wonderful advice he had to offer. These volunteers became familiar faces in Al’s home.
New volunteers were sent to visit Al first. He was easy to talk to and made them comfortable. I guess you could call Al the practice run for newbies!
Al called three times a week. Each time, volunteers would jump at the opportunity to pop in and say hello to him, or to help out with whatever he needed.
An average visit lasts about 10 to 15 minutes. In Al’s home, volunteers would stay for hours!
Al thanked me for all the company the Mitzvah man volunteers provided and the volunteers thanked me for rending them!
Sadly, Al passed away last month, but he left us with wonderful memories. His sage advice was happily accepted by the volunteers. Many said he helped them with business problems and disputes with friends.
It is often said that when it comes to hesed, both the giver and the receiver are enriched, and Al certainly enriched the lives of the Mitzvah Man volunteers.
He said to me, “You people shouldn’t be called Mitzvah Manyou should be called Miracle Men! What you do for me is priceless. I want everyone to know how they’ve changed my life!”
He was always so appreciative. Whenever a volunteer would take him on errands, he would thank them profusely. He’d then give the volunteer a blessing and, in his special way, make them feel like a million dollars. The volunteers would always go back to help him again. Helping Al was like helping a friend.
Last April, Al requested that we find him a family to eat with for the Seders. Because he couldn’t walk too far, Al asked that we find a family close to his home. So, a few Mitzvah Man volunteers began knocking on doors on Al’s street.
When someone answered the door, they asked if the family had room at their seder for an elderly man down the block. When they mentioned Al’s name, the responses were enthusiastically “yes.” One woman said, “yes, tell him to come sleep over.” The day before Passover, more than seven homes were eager to have him at their seders. What a beautiful community we live in.
In the four years since that first day when Al wanted to go to the Verizon store in a snow storm, Al got to know hundreds of volunteers, through visiting, helping with errands and dropping off meals. When we informed our volunteers of Al’s passing, there were no words to describe our sorrow. It felt like a piece of us was taken away.
Each volunteer who helped Al was honored and grateful to have known him. He left a mark on our lives that we will never forget.
To the Salem family, we thank you for sharing Al with us. He did more for us than we did for him.
