(Courtesy of Meir Panim) Recent surveys have shown that 2.5 million Israelis don’t believe they can survive the economic crisis caused by COVID-19. Leading economists predict that it might take years before Israel’s unemployment and poverty rates return to pre-pandemic levels. For Meir Panim, an organization devoted to feeding the hungry citizens of Israel, there has been an unprecedented number of people, including the newly unemployed, who have been reaching out for food provisions through emails, phone calls, municipalities, and the Ministry of Health.

Thanks to the generosity of matching grant sponsors, all donations made to our recently launched Matching Grant Campaign will be doubled!

Due to the coronavirus pandemic and the shuttering of all businesses and restaurants, Meir Panim’s restaurant-style soup kitchens no longer allowed its patrons from entering its doors. In order to be able to continue providing daily nutritious meals to the elderly, homebound and disabled, Meir Panim immediately transitioned to two major methods of services to the hungry and the needy: takeout and the expansion of Meals-on-Wheels deliveries.

In recent months, Meir Panim has expanded its lifesaving programs to meet the burgeoning demands by expanding its Meals-on-Wheels program to deliver as many as 30,000 meals each week to those in need. Israelis are lining up outside our distribution centers three-four hours early on a daily basis, desperate to take food packages home each day.

Many of the nation’s older workforce has been replaced and many more are stuck without any source of income. Other Israelis simply don’t have the option of returning to work as some businesses are still closed. But Meir Panim is committed to sustaining all who are hungry and need our help.

Join us in helping achieve our goal of raising $250,000 by June 30. With the help of generous matching grant sponsors who will match every donation, we can raise much needed funds totaling $500,000.

Please take the opportunity to make a difference to those who have felt the anguish of the pandemic the most, and join us in feeding the needy in Israel. Together we can raise $500,000!

Donations can be made online at give.meirpanim.org/coronavirus-2 or via our toll-free number at (877) 736-6283. If you prefer, you can mail a check, made payable to American Friends of Meir Panim, 5316 New Utrecht Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11219. All donations made in the U.S. are tax deductible under EIN# 20-1582478.