Colel Chabad Battles Food Insecurity for Families Brought About by Coronavirus

Colel Chabad is a charity organization, which caters to a large variety of communal and personal needs. Just recently, it took on an important responsibility to man the distribution of the latest initiative taken by the Interior Ministry to help families in need. 

Rabbi Mendy Blau, the director of the charitable organization in the State of Israel, said that this historic undertaking could not have come at a better time. He stressed upon what a critical time the nation is going through, where thousands of families are thrust into poverty every couple of a days. As per a report published by the Israel National Council for the Child, at least one in every three children from Israel was living under the poverty line at the time of the coronavirus crisis last year. 

Blau said that this is a major responsibility that Colel Chabad is viewing with a great sense of pride. He asserted how happy the organization is to be entrusted by the government with this historic mission. According to him, the network and experience that the charitable foundation possesses will be instrumental in helping families, effectively and quickly. 

Around 200,000 Israeli families will receive assistance through this particular program. It will include cards to help them purchase food. They will also be given food boxes, along with several different forms of aid. 

Colel Chabad has taken up the responsibility to help the families residing in the Central Region of Israel, as well as the South, Jerusalem, Samaria, and Judea. On the other hand, Pitchon Lev, another food distribution organization, has agreed to take on the rest of the country. 

Moreover, NIS 700 million will be allocated to the cards that will help families pay for the food. This new initiative is hoped to bring about an improvement in the lives of the families, who are currently categorized as being under the poverty line. 

The Interior Minister, Arye Deri, also added that he is deeply appreciative and proud to be a part of this project and to be leading it. Talking about the coronavirus pandemic that has taken over the globe, he talked about how it has turned out to be a financial nightmare. He acknowledged how there are many families in the country that are fighting to survive on a daily basis, and fight off hunger.

Back in December, Latest, a nonprofit organization, published statistics regarding households facing difficulties. As per the results, more than 268,000 families were plunged into poverty due to the coronavirus pandemic in the year 2020. In 2019, however, there were 582,000 households that were starving. 

Deri further talked about all the advantages that the project will produce. He also stated that the initiative is a culmination of great effort on the part of the charitable organizations involved and the Interior Ministry. He expressed happiness at the fact that with dedicated debit cards given to poor households, beneficiaries will be able to go out and buy critical food supplies for themselves. In addition, this will allow them to not use unlawful means and simultaneously, protect their dignity.