By Naomi Ammon

“Baguette or roll?”

Recently, a team of ICEJ staff repeated this phrase to over 1,000 Israelis while handing each of them two bags of groceries at a social welfare distribution site in Rishon LeZion.  

Because of the prolonged war, poverty rates in Israel have increased dramatically, as the costs of living – especially the price for basic groceries – has skyrocketed. In response to this stark reality, a dark parking garage transforms every Wednesday and Thursday into a bustling hub of humanitarian activity and purpose.

Forklifts transfer hundreds of boxes of food essentials necessary for a balanced family diet. There are grocery carts piled high with cabbages and eggplants, and crates of bottled cooking oil. Shipping containers also are filled with hundreds of bags of assorted vegetables, another holds dairy products, another protein, and yet another carbohydrates.

The distribution line has to move fast. Twelve empty boxes wait to be filled on two stainless steel tables. Two volunteers stand at the front to greet and help people fill their grocery bags. Two more volunteers slide empty boxes back and full ones forward, and everyone gathers items as quickly as possible to fill the ever-emptying boxes.

As has become common in Israel, the task of aiding those in need brought together many people from diverse backgrounds, faiths and regions. Our staff from several foreign lands worked alongside local Israeli volunteers to get the job done.

An Israeli man from Bat Yam volunteers at the food bank every other week. A young lady is a law student fulfilling community service hours for her academic requirements. This is also a group on a volunteer tour from Canada.

When another scheduled volunteer group could not participate before the Shavuot (Pentecost) holiday, Jannie Tolhoek from ICEJ AID received an urgent call for assistance and immediately sprang into action, rallying our staff to come pitch in. The ICEJ team was soon on the ground, gladly helping with the food distribution!  

Upon arriving, the team was met with a chorus of welcomes from the food bank regulars.

“We’re so excited to work with you today”, said one.

“Jannie! It’s good to see you”, said another. “Who have you brought today? Shavuot is particularly busy, and your help is so useful today!” 

The ICEJ staff members were thrilled to help.

“Every time I volunteer in this country, there’s so many people. It’s not hard to find people who want to help, Israel is special like that”, noted Sammuel Mauch from Brazil.

“The program director remembered me, and that I’m from Ukraine. He even called me by my name”, said Pnina, an ICEJ staffer who has volunteered here before. “Today they celebrated someone’s birthday with cake and candles and singing. We all shared that joy and memory together. Here, you’re not just a stranger who comes to volunteer and leave. It feels like family, like one big Israeli family.”

“For me as a Christian, I feel that I’m pleasing God and fulfilling His word by taking care of His people”, added Priscilla Campos from São Paulo. “It’s a privilege to be part of what God is doing in this country.”

The ICEJ AID team shares a warm relationship and true partnership with this social distribution center and has brought groups of Christian volunteers to this location for many years now. We also have leased two refrigerated delivery trucks for the food bank that currently criss-cross the country, collecting food from businesses and supermarkets and transporting them to distribution sites for Israelis in need.

The ICEJ is blessed to help meet the pressing needs of so many Israeli families, including provisions for healthy meals. Consider making a gift today to help us spread more comfort and blessing as we connect with Israelis on your behalf.