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As we near the holiday period, the media is turning the spotlight on the people in need who are unable to provide holiday meals for their families and the vital nonprofits who supply them with food. One such organization is Meir Panim in Dimona, which feeds 400 people in need every day.
The establishment has a dining room, a board game room for Holocaust survivors and a small office for director Nissim Almkeys, who works tirelessly all year round but especially before every holiday, ensuring that the people of Dimona and Yeruham are fed. The organization provides food to everyone regardless of age, race, religion or gender. "Everyone deserves the essentials," Nissim explains. "Everyone deserves to live with dignity." Leket Israel provides fresh surplus agricultural produce to Meir Panim's doorstep and a variety of soups are produced from the vegetables that are delivered.
"I have been working with Leket Israel and for at least 15 years now, almost from the start, and I can say that they are partners in a great mitzvah, really saving lives," says Almkeys. "Not only do they bring huge amounts of food here, but now they also provide us with cooked meals from IDF bases. They are with us through thick and thin and it is very heartwarming to know that such an organization is standing beside us. There are good directors in this organization, who are very attentive to our needs. I can pick up the phone at ten at night and the next day I'm already taken care of. There is an amazing connection between us." Since the beginning of the year, Leket Israel has delivered 107 tons of fruit and vegetables and more than 14,000 cooked meals to Meir Panim.
In the last year, following the corona crisis, there has been a sharp increase in the number of recipients. How do you handle the amount of referrals? Are you able to meet the demand?
Good question. To be honest, the last year has been very difficult for us. We are not meeting the demand that is only increasing with time. I do not know what we would have done without Leket Israel, who, to put it simply, saved us. We would probably have had to work at a much lower capacity, but we would have not given up. Thanks to Leket Israel, we are able to reach more people than we would have on our own. They help open a lot of doors and especially help us with the logistics. I can travel myself to get the food, but they save me time and fuel. They bring the food to the office which is an enormous help.
To donate a meal for Rosh Hashanah visit roshahashanah.leket.org/en
According to Nissim, during this high pressure time, all nonprofit organizations must cooperate to provide for those in need. "What's good about Leket Israel is that they are very flexible and attentive to the needs of the people throughout the country," he says. "I'll give you an example, if I received a request from Kfar Saba for a family in need, I turn to Leket Israel - because they have a nationwide distribution – and they know where to direct the request and immediately take care of that specific family, through a local NPO. It also works the other way around. They turn to me and I take care of the family in need in my jurisdiction. There is a connection between these networks, working toward a common goal, which is that everyone gets food and that no one is left hungry."
Many nonprofits say there's a possibility of closing down. Are you at risk of that?
We are not in danger of closing down, thank God, even though many of our donors have stopped supporting us, because of the situation. Luckily, we have the International Fellowship Foundation to support us. In addition, we have help from the Dimona Municipality. Obviously we would love to get more help, in order to help more people, survive, but we are happy with what we can get.
I heard about some donors who themselves who became recipients this year. Did you also encounter this?
Unfortunately, yes. I came across quite a few of our donors who became recipients and it breaks my heart to see it. It's especially painful to see the farmers who had to destroy a lot of their produce because of the lockdowns, and despite that, continued to contribute to the Leket Israel.
What do you think of the government's treatment of the periphery cities and the people in need?
They are very happy that there are organizations like ours that help the people in need exist and do the work for them. They need to do more to assist us. Luckily, locally, we feel tremendous support from the municipality. The mayor of Dimona has personally volunteered to help us monetarily and with renovations. I'm not sure if there are any other mayors who support their local nonprofits that way.
Almkeys concludes with an important message: The problems I encounter every hour of every day, are not the problems of Nissim Almkeys, not the problems of 'Meir Panim', they are not even the problems of 'Leket Israel'. They are the problems of all of the Israeli people. Anyone can help - with money, time and goodwill. We are still one nation. It is true that solidarity among the people was stronger in other periods, but we are still one nation. There are many good people who want to help and I invite everyone who is reading this article to pick up the phone and call a non-profit organization near them, and just ask how you can get involved. With one phone call, you will do a good deed and make a lot of people happy. There is no greater gift than this, for the holiday.
To donate a meal for Rosh Hashanah visit roshahashanah.leket.org/en
