Since March of 2020, Shearit HaPlate of Bergen County, Inc. (SHPBC) has been temporarily closed due both to the pandemic and because of the sale of the home that included the garage where they conducted operations. According to Josh Klavan, a representative of SHPBC, “When we find a suitable location, SHP will, b’ezrat Hashem, reopen to continue our mission of rescuing food and helping those in need within our community, while maintaining their dignity and self-respect.”

Shearit HaPlate’s longtime program, operating exclusively by volunteers since 2005 but recognized as a not-for-profit organization since March 2008, focused on rescuing and repackaging unused, fresh food from kosher restaurants and caterers, and the food was then picked up by local families in and around Teaneck in a discreet and respectable manner. Its operations have always been entirely separate—in focus, mission and operations—from any other local food bank, including the Bergen County Kosher Food Pantry, an organization established during the pandemic to rescue unused shelf-stable and refrigerated foods for locals to pick up.

“What was really special was that we had a system of scheduling, where people would come during their time slot and then pick up items discreetly while maintaining their self respect. We did it all through a centralized Gmail account so no one knew who was picking up the items other than one or two key volunteers.”

Klavan continued, “The plan is to reopen when we find a suitable home that can properly continue our mission in a safe and secure environment.”

For more information about Shearit HaPlate, please visit http://www.shpbc.org/home.html.