Illustration by Denis Shifrin

Following the Tel Aviv Esra insight meeting, at the suggestion of the director of volunteer services of the Tel Aviv Municipality, contact was made with the association 'Food for the Disadvantaged', which needs cars and drivers to deliver parcels of food.

A distribution of food parcels to the needy took place during the week before Pesach.  Two cars collected the goods, which included dry foods, cleaning materials, potatoes, carrots, matzot and a bottle.

Pat Zuckerman came in from Herzliya to load her car on Wednesday, and she distributed to six addresses on Friday along with Judith Ganem.

Michal Oren and Gill Teicher handled their deliveries right after the pick-up.  It took about four hours from start to finish and it was heavy work, with four full bags for each recipient.  A good deal of the time was spent working out the one way street systems in south Tel-Aviv.  We received a list of names, phone numbers and address which we then had to locate.  On one occasion we enlisted the assistance of some builders to help us carry the goods several hundred meters.  On another occasion a young fellow happily jumped into the car in order to direct us to the street we needed because that was where he lived.  I had expected him to shlep a bag or two, but he ran off as soon as we arrived, annoyed because some cleaning fluid had leaked on to the back seat and on to his jeans.

Everyone receiving packages was extremely grateful to Joshua at 'Food for the Disadvantaged' for whom we were 'messengers'.

At the end of February, Tricia Wermouth and Lisa Blank who are both young new immigrants delivered as well.

Thanks to everyone who contributed.

For more details on how to volunteer for this service provided by Esra contact Gill Teicher by email gillit@zahav.net.il or call 03 6021008