(JTA) — The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, known as Met Council, will distribute kosher-for-Passover food for the needy at 129 locations across New York.
More than 181,000 New Yorkers will receive food before Passover from Met Council, which calls itself “America’s largest free kosher for Pesach food distribution.”
Some 82,000 pounds of chicken, 77,000 pounds of eggs, 79,000 cans of tuna and 54,000 pounds of matzah are among the items that will be distributed, Met Council said in a statement.
“This year we gave out more food to more people at more locations than ever before,” David G. Greenfield, CEO of Met Council, said in a statement. “As importantly, we gave out higher quality food.”
Met Council also distributed more than 2,100 Visa credit cards each loaded with up to $500 for families who need extra assistance to buy food for the holiday.
In Israel, the Colel Chabad charity is distributing seder meals for over 22,000 people. The meals include more than 11,000 salmon filets, 7,000 chicken thighs and 9,800 almond cakes, and are made from some 30,000 eggs and 10 tons of potatoes.
The meals will be served at communal holiday meals and are also provided to homebound people.
In addition, 10,800 boxes of holiday food staples and fresh fruits and vegetables have been prepared and delivered to the doors of families in the National Food Security initiative, a program of the Ministry of Welfare implemented by Colel Chabad.
The charity is working this year with Leket Israel, which has provided its facility in Raanana and volunteers for sorting and preparing the food packages and as a distribution point.
