At this point, I’m sure it comes as no secret to anyone that I love to write. Stringing words into sentences and stories brings me a great deal of pleasure, whether I’m doing it for work or play. Sometimes, when it comes to work assignments, I do the best I can with a subject that doesn’t really resonate with me, but other times, I feel truly privileged to be able to do what I do, especially when it comes to raising awareness of important issues. This is one of those times.
Photo courtesy of Leket Israel
Through my work as a freelance writer for the Haaretz newspaper’s Commercial Department, I was recently given the opportunity to meet with聽Joseph Gitler, director of Israel’s largest national food bank and food rescue organization – Leket. I was given a tour of their facilities and spoke with Joseph at great length about the amazing organization he founded as well as topics such as poverty, need, nutrition, voluntarism Leket , environmental sustainability and more.
The link below takes you to the article I wrote as a result of that meeting. It was published in Haaretz’s “The Power of Giving” supplement, which was distributed with Monday’s English-language edition of the newspaper.
But first, a few facts about the organization:
- Leket currently rescues 700,000 meals annually, as well as 13 million pounds of produce and perishable goods
- Its 40,000 volunteers come from all walks of life, including native Israelis, immigrants, tourists, national service youth and people performing court-ordered community service. Some of these individuals are regular volunteers, while others volunteer on a one-time basis as part of a greater framework (such as a two-week visit to Israel, a bar/bat mitzvah project, etc.)
- Every morning, volunteers prepare 7,000 sandwiches for disadvantaged Israeli school children across the country
- Leket partners with nearly 300 different non-profit organizations
- The organization has approximately 80 paid employees and nine food transport vehicles
- Leket’s budget is comprised solely of donations. For every dollar spent, the organization can provide three meals.
The article itself can be found here. Please visit Leket’s website to learn more about the organization and what you can do to help.
Thanks for the reminder! My parents are here this week and I’ve been wracking my brain for family-friendly activities that wouldn’t be insanely crowded. They’ve volunteered with Leket before and would love to do so again. (My mom also runs a similar pick for the needy program in her town during the summer harvest season.)
———————————–
My photography is available for purchase – visit Around the Island Photography and bring home something beautiful today!
Great article! (and fantastic organization too 馃檪