Check out Marni's story about why she chose Gift of Life for her Bat Mitzvah Project: 

I heard about Gift Of Life from my dad. He went to a party for an organization called Gift of Life -- and he told me about how all these people were saved by strangers. And how happy they were. And how moving it was when they met the people who had saved them. I wondered about how it would be possible for someone to save someone else’s life directly. So I started looking it up and getting information. And I learned that Gift of Life was a Bone Marrow transplant organization that helps find donors and adds them to the national registry. I thought about how I needed a project for my Bat Mitzvah -- and about how great it would be if I could connect the two.

I spoke to Gift of Life, and they connected me with Samantha - who is a volunteer coordinator. I asked her if it would be possible to set up a swab drive where I could help collect swab kits and add more people to the registry. She said yes and asked me to talk to the Temple. Once I emailed Marcia at the Temple, she suggested that we connect our event with their already scheduled blood drive. 

I am excited about my event because I get to run something on my own that actually makes a difference. When I was in Girl Scouts we were always doing things that helped out other people -- but we were always working as a group. This year at my school, we are planning a dog charity event -- and again we’re all working as a group. My Bat Mitzvah project is a chance for me to lead something on my own. It makes me feel like I’m accomplishing something powerful.

Gift of Life is a great example of one person making a big difference. A random person you can see on the street -- could have saved someone’s life. When you add your name to the bone marrow registry, you are performing a mitzvah by helping make the world a better place. By making Gift of Life my Bat Mitzvah project, I am hoping to be that one person who makes a difference.