Heritage Florida Jewish News - Central Florida's Independent Jewish Voice

NEW YORK — As costs continue to soar due to inflation, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty has launched an emergency fundraising appeal to ensure the Jewish organization can provide free food to the more than 300,000 Jews who rely on the organization’s free food distributions for Passover across the tri-state area.

More than 230 distribution events have been strategically organized across all five boroughs of New York City, as well as in Westchester, Albany, Connecticut, and northern New Jersey. These events serve as crucial access points for individuals and families in need, providing them with essential Passover supplies in a dignified manner in their communities.

“Passover is already the most expensive time of year for Jewish families especially those who are already financially struggling, as the holiday’s customs require essentially a full changeover to kosher-for-Passover foods for pantry staples, special foods, and other holiday essentials,” said Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield. “For too many people this comes at a time of continued increases in rent, fuel and other basic expenses creating a greater struggle now more than ever before.”

The Passover provisions Met Council is distributing encompass a diverse array of kosher for Passover foods such as Matzah, kosher for Passover chicken, gefilte fish, eggs, tuna, and an assortment of beverages including apple juice and grape juice. Additionally, the packages contain staples like apple sauce, biscotti, borsht, cake mix, chopped walnuts, cocoa powder, jam, lemon juice, macaroons, matzah meal, matzah brei mix, oil, potato starch, sugar, tomato sauce, vinegar, as well as an assortment of fruits and vegetables including mandarin oranges, peaches, pickles, and potatoes.

Outside of the food distributions, Met Council has already distributed nearly $500,000 worth of emergency food cards to help thousands of low-income families mark the holiday with dignity. Many of these families also have young children.

“Our Passover distributions come at a time when the community needs our support more than ever,” said Jessica Chait, the managing director of Met Council’s food programs and policy. “By providing essential provisions to hundreds of thousands of households, we’re enabling access to nutritious foods and ensuring that individuals and families don’t have to sacrifice tradition to meet their basic needs.”

For more information and to participate in the campaign, please visit: https://www.metcouncil.org/PE24MC

Founded in 1972, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (Met Council) has been fighting poverty and promoting the social welfare of New York’s struggling populations including the impoverished, immigrants and the elderly. Its “Kosher Food Network” is the largest kosher food pantry program globally. Its social services programs support tens of thousands of New Yorkers through direct assistance and by helping to register them for applicable government programs. These include programs supporting victims of domestic violence, the elderly, Holocaust survivors, and those experiencing other financially based crises. Met Council is also the largest owner and operator of affordable housing in the Jewish community. For more information, please visit https://www.metcouncil.org.