Jeremy & Joshua Levinson

Congregation Temple Israel

Twins Jeremy and Josh Levinson are very fond of a wonderful young man who has special needs. Their friend, Nick Mellring, has been participating in TASK, Team Activities for Special Kids, for many years. Combining their enjoyment of team sports and Nick, Jeremy and Josh thought this would be a great mitzvah project.

Deb Freund, TASK Executive Director, explains the mission of the nonprofit organization is to enrich and nurture the lives of children with special needs by providing opportunities for them to participate in sports, recreational and social activities.  Different evenings of the week are designated for specific team sports.  Each volunteer is partnered with a TASK participant including individuals challenged by physical impairments, speech/language impairments, learning disabilities, mental disabilities, behavior concerns and autism. This past summer Jeremy and Josh volunteered on kickball night as shadows, providing encouragement and guidance.

A student at MICDS, Josh remarked, “TASK helped me become familiar with special needs individuals. It was a good experience to be able to help participants learn the specifics of a sport.” Jeremy, a student at Ladue Middle School, agrees and adds, “It’s a good feeling to watch these kids having so much fun participating in sports every child likes to play.”

Sons of Janice Berg and Phil Levinson of Creve Coeur, Jeremy and Josh used some of their b’nai mitzvah gift money to provide TASK with needed athletic equipment.  They also donated their kiddush centerpieces for future TASK events and provided guests with information about the organization.

The philosophy behind TASK is to promote coordination, cooperation and other critical life skills.  Building these skills builds self-confidence. And, self-confidence, in turn, builds self-esteem. For more information about TASK, go to www.tasksports.org.