Recently, food products valued at hundreds of thousands of shekels were purchased and delivered by Leket Israel to 30 nonprofit agencies in the South. The goal was to provide the needy with necessary items and to support the local businesses in Sderot, Ofakim, Ashdod, Ashkelon, Nitzan, and Netivot that have been hurt hard by the recent conflict.
“Leket Israel is not only looking for ways to increase our food donations to the needy in the south, but also to boost the economy in the area,” said Gidi Kroch, Leket Israel’s CEO.
Among the many stores that Leket purchased from was Super Cohen in Sderot. According to its owner, Solomon Cohen, “Because my shop is located on the outskirts of Sderot, where mostly young families live, we have been suffering terribly since more than 70% of the community left at the beginning of the war for the center and the north of the country.” Solomon has been living in Sderot for 55 years since making aliyah from Morocco and he does not recall a time as difficult as this. “We have lived through many wars, but I am more concerned today than I ever have been about both the security and economic situation.”
The large order of products such as pasta, rice, cornflakes, halva, canned vegetables, etc. was delivered to a leading nonprofit agency in Sderot, Mercaz Hachesed, founded 14 years ago by a local resident, Avichai Amusi. Amusi manages the agency as a volunteer and distributes weekly food parcels to 670+ needy families in Sderot, with tens of additional ones during a time like this.
“Leket Israel delivers fresh fruits and vegetables along with dairy products on a weekly basis, but since the start of the war Leket has not only provided us with hundreds of food parcels and this large scale purchase of necessary items, but it has been in constant touch with me to find out what else we need and how Leket can be of help. I cannot express how grateful I am and how much this means to all of the families in need in Sderot,” shared Amusi.
Photo Credit: Guy Yehoshua
