Kosher Food Pantry is here to help

PROVIDENCE – One of the areas of concern for providers of assistance is that people in the community who are truly in need are still ashamed to ask for help. If you know of any members of the community, especially shut-ins, who need food, the Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry can deliver the food, which might make it easier for those requiring assistance.

The Louis and Goldie Chester Full Plate Kosher Food Pantry is open every Tuesday and Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. Dedicated teams of volunteers shop for and package the food, clean the storage shelves, and deliver bags of food to those in need but are unable to get to the Kosher food bank by themselves. Volunteers also work in the pantry to directly assist walk-ins with supplies or additional services.

Through their strong association with the Rhode Island Community Food Bank, the Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island (JSARI) sponsored an 8-week cooking class series that focused on nutritional meal preparation. Pantry clients who participated learned the food pyramid as well as the nutritional values and daily allowances of the food they receive from the pantry. They were also taught how to make specific meals using items from the pantry.

The pantry regularly collaborates with synagogues throughout Rhode Island for annual food drives, particularly during the High Holy Days and many maintain food collection boxes and collect canned goods for them all year. JSARI has also established a partnership with Ferri Middle School in Johnston. In 2012, students collected canned tuna fish for the Kosher food pantry to encourage protein intake. This school year, they are collecting oatmeal. Students become invested in the pantry and the work they do through ongoing conversations and field trips to the pantry to encourage volunteer work, service learning projects and the importance of giving back.

The Chester Pantry is a partner agency with the Jewish Alliance. They are located at Jewish Seniors Agency of Rhode Island, 100 Niantic Avenue, Providence. Contact Susan Adler at 621-5374 or sadler-jeri@jsari.org for further information.