Met Council helps needy families prepare for Passover

April 21, 2016 By Paula Katinas Brooklyn Daily Eagle

Volunteers distribute kosher food for families to have for the Passover holiday. Photo courtesy of the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty

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More than 240,000 low-income New Yorkers, including thousands in Brooklyn, will be able to enjoy Passover with joy and dignity, thanks to two organizations which worked together on a kosher food distribution in preparation for the Jewish holiday.

The Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, also known as the Met Council, and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America are joining forces on the food drive through the Met Council’s Kosher Food Network.

Passover begins at sunset tonight.

Kosher food was distributed at 120 sites around New York City. Orthodox Union staff members pitched in as volunteers to assist with the distribution.

Many families need help around Passover, according to the Met Council, which pointed out that, on average, a kosher meal is 15 percent more expensive than a non-kosher meal.

Met Council CEO Alan Schoor said there are more than 500,000 low-income Jews in New York City and that his organization’s members believe they have an obligation “to ensure that the most vulnerable New Yorkers have access to kosher and nutritious food year-round and especially during the holidays.”

To help low-income Jewish New Yorkers have a happy Passover, volunteers assisted local food pantries by stocking shelves and organizing food. Volunteers also screened clients for eligibility for government benefits, including, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), as well as Project Metropair, the Met Council’s free handyman service for low income seniors.

The Met Council operates the largest kosher food pantry system in the U.S. The organization also offer emergency social services, family violence prevention services, home repairs, homecare services, benefits enrollment and outreach, job readiness training and affordable housing.

The organization operates through a network of grassroots Jewish community councils around the city.