Food donations sought for needy

The number of requests for help with food for the coming Passover seder has more than doubled this year.

By MIRIAM BULWAR DAVID-HAY (TRANSLATED)
The number of requests for help with food for the coming Passover seder has more than doubled this year compared with last year, reports the Ra'anana-based Shulhan Le'shulhan (Table to Table) charity. The organization says that while last year it distributed 80 tons of fruit and vegetables and 35,000 hot meals to the needy around the country, this year it will distribute 200 tons of fruit and vegetables and 60,000 hot meals, reports www.local.co.il. According to the report, the organization says there has been a rise of more than 100 percent in requests for assistance for Pessah this year compared with last year, largely because fruit and vegetable prices have risen so dramatically that many people have become unable to afford them. The organization, which collects unneeded food from farms, army bases and caterers and distributes it around Israel, says the price rise is mainly due to the current Sabbatical year and the falling US dollar. The charity, which will conduct a major food drive on April 7 and 8, is urging donors to drop off foods (including hametz items) at its premises in Rehov Hasadna 11, Ra'anana industrial zone, during business hours, or to call (09) 744-1757.