Kosher food pantry fill plates of Jews in need

The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry is truly a family affair. Family by household, family by working together closely and family because as Jews we know it is our responsibility to take care of each other.

We cannot put into words how unassuming all our volunteers are. The volunteers, who shop, bag the food, deliver, clean and help those in need do this for all the right reasons. When asked to be in a picture for this article, these volunteers requested a photo of the pantry only. They do not want recognition or glory. What they say they really want is to get the word out to the community about The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry, a program of Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island.

Since opening our doors as the first-ever kosher food pantry in Rhode Island, The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry has given out close to 193 tons of food to those in need of kosher food. Yes, Jewish people across the state of Rhode Island are in need of assistance to fill their plates. We serve an average of 115 households each month and we see new faces each month. When they receive food, we at the pantry take away their worries as they do not have to compromise their beliefs, values and traditions.

A team of volunteers delivers food to those who are not able to drive to the pantry, and people are  welcome to come to pick out food themselves. Some people might have plates that are full but not from food. They are full with worry and situations that are hard for others to grasp. Imagine living in an apartment that is less than desirable. Imagine living in a place of filth, bugs and mold with a ceiling that is ready to collapse. At the pantry we can understand this because we rescued someone facing these challenges and helped this person move into another much more habitable facility. It was a situation that afforded us the opportunity to reach out to Wendy Joering at the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island and Jewish Family Service for assistance. As an agency, it is reassuring to know that we have a community at large that truly cares.

We have been blessed to have our temple families across the state, along with the Jewish Community Day School and the Providence Hebrew Day School, who have done an incredible job of collecting food for us. As we are counting down to our six- year anniversary, our wishes are quite simple: make sure that our shelves are always filled with food and that if people need the pantry that they reach out to us for assistance. People can always contact their rabbi for assistance and the rabbi will call us. If you need food or know of someone who does, you can also contact Wendy Joering or Robyn Goldstein at the Alliance, 401-421-4111. How wonderful it is that as a family we truly have each other’s backs when it comes to helping out.

The pantry is serving the needs of the community, and we get to reap the benefits knowing we are helping those in need. If you would like to donate food to the pantry, if you are interested in volunteering, if you have any question about how you can help fulfill this mitzvah or if you know someone who needs help to fill their plate, please contact Susan at sadler-jeri@jsari.org or at 401-621-5374. The pantry is a partner agency of the Alliance

SUSAN ADLER is coordinator of The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry and director of Jewish Eldercare of Rhode Island.