By Rabbi Laura Rumpf, Director of Project Kavod
Each year, JFS hosts a large Community-Wide Food Drive & Sort to collect and organize food and hygiene items for our Polack Food Bank. Not only does this community-minded, all-ages event help supply our food bank with vital supplies to feed our neighbors—it has also become a memorable and much-anticipated tradition and celebration of our community.
We were so thrilled to welcome more than 120 volunteers to our loaned warehouse space in North Kent. Together, we sorted, boxed, and organized more than 1,170 bags of food and toiletries. We couldn’t have done it without our community’s support! Nearly 328,000 (about 11.6%) of Washington state’s households don’t have reliable access to affordable, nutritious food. Of those households, over 2,000 turn to the Polack Food Bank each month. These contributions of time and resources are helping fight food insecurity. Thank you!
“It’s a great opportunity for families and children to be involved and show that we should be helping anyone who needs assistance.” – Jonny, Food Sort Volunteer
We’d also like to send a special thank you to Dean Polik and the ACME Food Sales staff for their longtime support of our Food Sort location as well as their donation of off-site storage space for our Food Bank throughout the year.
It’s no coincidence that our annual, in-person event has traditionally taken place around the High Holidays—a time meant to reflect on ourselves and our place in the world. Please see below….
Project Kavod “Food for Thought” Reflections
- Our Jewish tradition teaches that when someone moves to a new city, one of the first things they should do is contribute to the community food collection (Talmud Bava Batra 8A). Why do you think having a safe place for people who are hungry to get food continues to be a priority and mitzvah in the Seattle Jewish community today?
- How does your family make choices about what food you buy and where you get it from? Are there different values you consider (environment, health, Kashrut, taste, cost, etc.) when you shop together?
- How might your family incorporate more reflection and action on the mitzvah of feeding the hungry beyond the Food Sort with JFS?
Interested in additional opportunities to volunteer with us? Click here.
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