When Covid-19 hit, Sharona Shnayder was just looking for an excuse to go outside and meet with friends: “During lockdowns, my friend and I found ourselves craving a way to reconnect with the world beyond our screens. One day, we grabbed some bags, headed to the park, and began picking up litter. It gave us a sense of purpose. So much so, that we thought to invite other friends and encourage people around the world to join us.”
What started as a small initiative grew into a global movement: Tuesdays for Trash – a mission to inspire people to dedicate at least one day a week to the planet by picking up trash – resulted in the creation of 15 chapters, involvement in over 60 countries, and more than 87,000 pounds of trash removed. “It began with a simple desire to do good—and it has blossomed into a global force for climate justice.”
Sharona, who was born in Nigeria, grew up in the United States, and today lives in Israel, is active in the President’s Climate Crisis Forum and has been selected to receive the National Geographic Young Explorers grant as one of 15 young people ages 18-25 from 13 countries, recognized for their “groundbreaking and impactful environmental solutions achieved through leadership and courage.” With the grant, Sharona is expanding the project and is publishing a children’s book on environmental issues.
Sharona is one of the Masa Changemakers – 18 exceptional young men and women carefully selected from Masa’s 200.000 alumni for their extraordinary accomplishments and contributions to the Jewish world and Israel. The Changemakers list highlights the inspiring contributions of Masa alumni worldwide, showcasing their noteworthy and inspiring achievements and the positive change they bring to their communities and beyond.
Recalling her participation in a Masa-Career program, she says, “My Masa experience marked a pivotal moment. Through my internship at a start-up called UBQ Materials, which transforms waste into reusable materials, I gained firsthand exposure to the intersection of sustainability, innovation, and entrepreneurship. This role deepened my understanding of the climate landscape in Israel and gave me skills and networks to navigate it ideally.”
With Sharona on the list is Kristin Guerin, who, until recently, was a professional actor, director, and producer with over a decade of experience in theatre, film, and television. However, in March 2020, when the entertainment industry closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she, like Sharona, refocused her energy on social change during the crisis. That is how Buddy System MIA came to life, an organization she co-founded and leads.
“I began to worry about my neighbors in need, especially people who were low-income, elderly, and immunocompromised, who couldn’t safely leave their homes to attend food distributions or even go to a grocery store to use their food stamps.
I used my free time to create a volunteer platform that quickly took off. Within a few days, Buddy System had paired hundreds of volunteers with homebound neighbors who needed a “buddy” to help them through the pandemic with food, emotional support, and neighborly love.”
Buddy System MIA now supports over 5,000 people with access to free, healthy food through three robust programs. Every year, the organization repurposes over 400,000 pounds of rescued food that would otherwise be sent to landfills, with the help of 1,600 volunteers who foster community accountability across Miami.
One of the programs is the Community Fridge Initiative, a network of public refrigerators in food deserts with the motto, ‘Take what you need, leave what you can.’ These community fridges are life-changing for the over 800 weekly visitors who can walk up 24/7 and find free, healthy food. “It is now my full-time job, where I serve as Executive Director/CEO and oversee six employees and 1,600 volunteers.”
Kristin was among the first fellows of Masa-Volunteers, a program launched by Masa at the start of the war to enable thousands of Jews from around the world to support Israel during its most challenging time through volunteer work. “The program helped me identify my own nuanced personal values and worldview, especially in how I want to show up in the world as a Jewish leader.”
Sharona and Kristin are just two examples of the amazing work Masa alumni are doing all over the world and the leadership they demonstrate in their communities. As Sharona puts it: “We need to embrace the principle of Tikkun Olam—our sacred responsibility to repair the world.
The challenges we face today—climate change, inequality, conflict – may seem insurmountable, but Tikkun Olam teaches us that no action is too small when it comes to healing the world. Every effort we make, no matter how modest, contributes to the collective good.”
To read the full list of Masa’s Changemakers, visit https://www.masaisrael.org/go/masas-change-makers/.