City Harvest Programs » Emergency Food Programs
Kosher Community Project
The Problem
According to the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, there are almost a quarter of a million Jewish people living in poverty in New York City, as well as over 100,000 Jews living just above the poverty line, who struggle on a daily basis to feed, clothe, and house their families.
City Harvest’s Response
City Harvest launched a Kosher Initiative in 1999 to provide food to those who observe kashrut, Jewish dietary law. Over the years, the Kosher Initiative grew from one van supporting three agencies to become a fully integrated part of City Harvest's operations, working with 34 agencies to help feed about 75,000 people every month.
The Kosher Community Project provides New Yorkers that observe Jewish dietary law with increased access to a wider variety of kosher food while uncovering long term solutions to food insecurity that met the unique needs of the observant community. We aim to:
• Help feed about 75,000 low-income kosher-observant people per month by providing 1.9 million pounds of food per year to 34 kosher agencies, including more than one million pounds of fresh produce.
• Upgrade one or more kosher pantry/pantries to serve as a supermarket-style "client choice" site providing emergency food to the observant community in a dignified, respectful manner. Clients can select from a variety of food according to their tastes and dietary needs.
City Harvest has a specific "kosher route" that picks up kosher food from all segments of the food industry including farmers, supermarkets, retailers, and wholesalers for delivery to agencies that serve observant New Yorkers. We also run food drives around the Jewish holidays to collect food especially for this vulnerable population.
Funds for this program have been provided by:
Charles and Mildred Schnurmacher Foundation
Independence Community Foundation
Jewish Funders Network
New York City Council
Sidney and Esther Rabb Charitable Foundation
The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation
The Skirball Foundation
