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High Holy Day Food Drive Raises a Record Amount

12/07/2020 09:52:22 PM

Dec7

by Sherie Sondel

Over 50 million people in America live in food insecure homes. Many people are using food pantries for the first time in their lives. In Southern Wisconsin, the need for food relief is 40% greater than it was before the pandemic.

With these needs in mind, a generous donor offered to match TBE member contributions to the High Holy Day Food Drive to make sure we could meet our ambitious $15,000 goal. Our members rose to the occasion and donated a total of $15,657, the most we have ever given as a congregation. We offer our deepest thanks to all who gave.

The Social Action Committee met and divided the funds between several worthy organizations that fight hunger in our community. As in past years, the majority of the money will go to Second Harvest Foodbank of Southern Wisconsin. Second Harvest distributes millions of pounds of food each year, acting as a central distribution network for smaller food programs and pantries. Dollar for dollar, they are the most efficient distributor of food in this area. Since the pandemic began, Second Harvest has distributed over 500,000 boxes of food equaling more than 10 million meals.

By allocating $12,500 to Second Harvest at this time of year, TBE members are considered a silver level supporter in Second Harvest’s Share Your Holidays campaign to end hunger, a partnership with NBC15. According to Executive Director Stefanie Kushner, “It is a great reflection on our congregation that we are helping the greater Madison community in a large time of need. We are the only nonprofit organization to give at this amount (typically they are businesses) and Second Harvest is thrilled to have us listed as a sponsor to motivate other organizations to do the same. I am thankful for strong leadership that motivates our congregation to do wonderful things for our entire community.” To learn more, watch this Day in the Life video from Second Harvest.

We are also donating $1,000 to the Catholic Multicultural Center Food Pantry. The Catholic Multicultural Center is a social service–based community center on Madison’s south side and is the only organization in Dane County to serve a free community meal every single day of the week. During COVID-19 the center has been giving out packaged, hot meals to about 100 people each day in their parking lot. We are proud that members of our congregation have been providing the main dish for this program every other Wednesday. The center’s food pantry also provides food boxes in the parking lot and delivers food to households with vulnerable members.

Last year our congregation was fortunate to have Pastor Marcus D. Allen of the Mount Zion Baptist Church speak to us during our Social Action Shabbat. The Mount Zion Baptist Church Food Pantry is being stretched due to increased need, so we are also donating $500 to support their food recovery efforts.

In past years we have allocated some funds to help make and deliver meals to men at the Porchlight Shelter. It is possible that after the pandemic restrictions have ended we will once again provide meals at Porchlight, so we have retained the rest of the funds to support that effort once it begins, or other efforts later this year.

Thanks again to all our congregants for stepping up to the plate.

May 1, 2025 3 Iyar 5785