Food Aid Demand Surges 32% Ahead of Jewish New Year

The "Latet" organization has launched its annual holiday aid campaign, aiming to provide food packages to families facing economic hardship and food insecurity ahead of the upcoming Jewish New Year. The campaign is being conducted against a backdrop of a significant 32% increase in demand for food assistance, highlighting deepening economic distress among many Israeli families.

Leading Israeli companies, including Shufersal, Wolt, Strauss Group, and Osem-Nestlé, are partnering with "Latet" for the initiative. The campaign involves food and monetary donations, packaging events, public fundraising, and collaborations across online and digital platforms. "Latet" has a 30-year history of assisting approximately 250,000 families with poverty and food insecurity, providing cumulative aid valued at around 2.25 billion shekels.

A key component of the campaign is the "Donors Pack" project, where employees from participating companies pack thousands of food parcels at various company sites and "Latet's" logistics center in Beit Shemesh. Companies like Osem-Nestlé, Strauss Group, Clal Insurance and Finance, ICL, Bank Yahav, Harel Insurance, and Shastovitch are among the main partners involved in packing and volunteering. Other companies are leveraging their online platforms to solicit public donations.

Philanthropic foundations, such as the Foundation for the Friends of Israel, CBN, and Azrieli Foundation, are also providing significant financial support to expand the scope of aid. "Latet" plans to prepare and distribute over 30,000 food packages to supported families and elderly individuals across the country through its network of partner charities.

"Our ability to reach tens of thousands of families during the holidays relies on broad partnership between the public, the business sector, and philanthropy," stated Eran Wintrob, CEO of "Latet." He emphasized that in a time of rising living costs and increasing demand for aid, every contribution, volunteer hour, and collaboration has real meaning, expressing hope that the current mobilization will ensure more families can celebrate the holiday with dignity.