Thousands Benefit from UJO of Williamsburg and Met Council Huge Annual Passover Food Distribution

Williamsburg – The annual pre-Passover food distribution by the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn (UJO) in partnership with the Met Council - that took place today (Sunday) in the Brooklyn Navy Yard – will help feed many thousands during the upcoming Passover holiday.

The UJO’s annual distribution is conducted in a drive thru system, with two rows of open-trunked cars passing pallets of the distributed items, and crews unloading cases of food products into their cars. It was amazing to watch, during the span of many hours, as an endless row of cars kept moving, and each of them emerged from the drive-thru line with a car load of Passover staples.

This distribution is very important in advance of the Passover holiday, when families face a limited and expansive Kosher for Passover food selection, and Hasidic families only eat what they prepare themselves in their own kitchens. It requires purchasing large quantities of the Passover staples, something that many families, unfortunately, cannot afford. The annual distribution assists many of these families to enjoy a happy Passover, and assure that they aren’t going hungry for the eight-day holiday.

The distribution was joined by NYC Public Advocate Letitia James, Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson, Assemblymen Joe Lentol and Dov Hikind, Councilmembers Steve Levin, Laurie Cumbo and Rafael Espinal, Mr. Pinny Ringel of Mayor de Blasio’s Community Assistance unit, Mr. Pinny Hikind of Comptroller Scott Stringer’s office, District Leader Nick Rizzo, and many others who came to show support for this mega charitable endeavor.

“This distribution only took place thanks to Met Council. Many thousands of families – in Williamsburg an throughout the City and beyond - will happily celebrate the Passover, and have happier and easier lives year-round, thanks to this important organization,” said Rabbi David Niederman, Executive Director of the UJO. “I want to express our appreciation to Agger Fish Corp. and its president Mr. Marc Agger for providing the warehouse for this year’s distribution. It is a major contribution to the neighborhood. I also want to thank the Brooklyn Navy Yard, the NYPD’s 88th Precinct as well as the volunteers from the Williamsburg Safety Patrol (WSPU), for their assistance with making today’s distribution a success.”

“The Passover Haggadah teaches us to ‘let all who are hungry come to our table,”’ said Met Council CEO and Executive Director David M. Frankel. “With one in four Jewish New Yorkers struggling to feed their families kosher and nutritious foods, Met Council’s extraordinary staff works every day with our Jewish Community Council network — located on the front lines in all five boroughs — and City and State agency partners to provide dignified solutions to hunger. The 2.2 million pounds of food and $430,000 in food cards we distribute prior to Pesach will enable our clients to observe the holiday with a traditional and nutritious meal that otherwise would have been price prohibitive.”

 

“We thank Rabbi Niederman and the UJO of Williamsburg for their tireless efforts to provide for New Yorkers in need, and for all they did to make today's food distribution such a great success," Mr. Frankel concluded.

Cars Driving Thru and Emerging the Line Filled Up

With Assemblymen Lentol and Hikind, and Mr. Eric Munson of Met Council

Products Lined out in the Warehouse

 

 

Borough President Eric Adams Unloads Products into a Car

Councilman Rafael Espinal Unloads Products into a Car

Councilman Steve Levin Borough Unloads Products into a Car

Public Advocate Tish James Unloads Products into a Car

Councilwoman Laurie Cumbo Unloads Product to a Minivan



Volunteers for Shomrim and others assisting for the distribution, with Boro President Eric Adams, Councilman Steve Levin, Captain Peter Fiorillo of the 88^th precinct, Rabbi Niederman Pinny Ringel, senior member of the Mayor’s Community Assistance unit, District Leader Nick Rizzo, and others

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson unloads distributed products, with Councilmember Laurie Cumbo applauding

With Assemblyman Joe Lentol, District Attorney Ken Thompson, and Assemblyman Dov Hikind

Public Advocate Tish James and District Attorney Ken Thompson with Mark Agger, of Agger Fish, who made available his warehouse to serve as the distribution hub




 

September 5, 2014 (3): 2,000 Nourisihing Lunches Distributed for Children by UJO, Met Council, Jewish Education Project and Dept. of Education

The third item of September 5 (p.34 left, continued on p.93) reported on the successful distribution of 2,000 summer free kosher meals in Williamsburg by the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty (“Met Council”), The Jewish Education Project, and the New York City Department of Education, together with the UJO of Williamsburg.

The article also includes the following information and statements from the press release about the event:

Kosher Summer Meals was launched in 2012 to help low-income families provide nutritious meals for their children during the last week of summer, when children lack access to meals they ordinarily receive through school or camp. The program mirrors the Citywide Summer Meals program, while acknowledging the needs of kids who keep kosher. The program was created in response to the alarming number of children living in poor Jewish households. In Brooklyn alone, there are 168,800 poor and near-poor Jewish households with children, and 45% of all children in the New York City area live in households that are at or near the poverty line.

“In New York City, there are one-half million poor and near poor Jewish New Yorkers who struggle to feed their family every day,” said David M. Frankel, CEO and Executive Director of Met Council. “This year’s summer meals helped families feed their children nutritious meals that otherwise would have been cost prohibitive. We thank the generosity of our donor and the hard work of our partners: Chancellor Farina and the New York City Department of Education, Rabbi Schloss and The Jewish Education Project, Rabbi Niederman and UJO of Williamsburg and, Rabbi Silber and the JCC of Boro Park.

“It’s truly inspirational to be part of this multi-agency collaboration serving the common good,” said Rabbi Dr. Martin A. Schloss, Director of Government Relations & General Studies, at The Jewish Education Project. “There is no better way to prepare for the New Year.”

“The United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg is very happy to join together with our great partners at Met Council and The Jewish Education Project to once again bring kosher lunches to children in Williamsburg,” Rabbi David Niederman, President of The United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg and North Brooklyn. “The meals being distributed this week help some of the community’s poorest children have a satisfying and nutritious meal when camp is over and before schools start.”

“It is most gratifying coming back every year and seeing our neighborhood children enjoying a good nutritious lunch in the park, especially this week when most camps have ended and school has not yet begun” said Rabbi Yeruchim Silber, Executive Director of Boro Park Jewish Community Council. “I am most grateful to our partners in this project for their ongoing support.”

“I’m thrilled to be a partner in providing 4,000 free kosher lunches to children in need,” said Council Member Stephen Levin. “It is unacceptable for any child to go hungry, and I am excited that this partnership is working together to ensure our children have nutritious meals. My thanks and gratitude goes out to Chancellor Farina and the Department of Education, David Frankel and Met Council, Rabbi Niederman and UJO of Williamsburg, Rabbi Schloss and The Jewish Education Project, and Rabbi Silber and the JCC of Boro Park.”

“Access to nutritious food is vital to the health and success of our City’s children, yet so many families are unable to afford it,” said State Senator Daniel Squadron. “I am grateful to the Metropolitan Council, the Jewish Education Council, the Department of Education, the UJO of Williamsburg and the Jewish Community Council of Boro Park for spearheading this effort, so that families who keep kosher can start the school year off right.”

“I would like to thank the United Jewish Organizations of Williamsburg, the Met Council, the Jewish Community Council of Boro Park, The Jewish Education Project and the NYC Board of Education for dedicating their time and resources to this great cause,” said Assemblyman Joseph R. Lentol. “Throughout New York City, families struggle to put food on their table every night, it’s programs and events like these that provide much-needed help for those less fortunate. As we all know, the mind doesn’t work without food, so this program will satisfy these children’s bellies as well as their creative minds.”

UJO Column, September 5, 2014 by United Jewish Column