Bnos Bikur Cholim (BBC), Bnos Agudas Yisroel’s program that provides visits to over 100 seniors weekly, once again packaged hundreds of mishloach manos for seniors across the country.

Schools who participated in the mishloach manos campaign had sugar-free hamentaschen and chocolates delivered to their schools, where the girls dedicated time to assembling each individual package and writing personal notes to the seniors they planned to visit. Once the packages were complete, groups of girls from each school visited assigned nursing homes, handing out mishloach manos and bringing pre-Purim cheer to all the residents.

For the first time, schools in Cleveland and Los Angeles packaged mishloach manos for seniors in their area, raising the BBC Mishloach Manos program to a nationwide level. Also new this year, post-seminary girls reached out to Bnos and asked if they could once again participate in the program they so enjoyed when they were in high school.

The seniors in over 30 nursing homes – whether in Brooklyn, Monsey, Lakewood, or beyond – were thrilled to see the smiling faces of the girls even more than the packages of goodies; the girls, in turn, gain a unique opportunity to see themselves as givers, who can do tremendous chesed with other members of Klal Yisroel.

“I brought a struggling student to bring mishloach manos to a nursing home,” said one principal. “As soon as we got to the nursing home, I regretted my choice – she complained the moment we stepped foot inside. But after we spent an hour visiting seniors and giving them mishloach manos, I announced that it was time to go back to school – and this girl begged to stay longer. Now she visits the nursing home every week during the least popular times. She says that making the residents smile has brought her purpose and productivity – BBC literally changed her life.”

Bnos Agudas Yisroel thanks the Agudist Benevolent Society for their generosity in sponsoring this year’s mishloach manos.

Do you want to visit a nursing home/bring your students to visit? Contact [email protected] for more information.