We have been busy of late making some changes in our food distribution. A year ago, we were helping feed 140 families or about 576 people each week. We are now feeding 278 families or 1083 people every week. Baruch Ha’Shem. It is such a blessing for us to be able to bless almost twice as many needy families every week.

With all those additional bags of food to pack each week, and the resulting increase in the number of home deliveries we now make (41), we found it necessary to add an additional packing and distribution day to our week. It does make for a longer week, but more importantly it affords us the freedom to slow down a bit on distribution days and spend a few additional moments with our families we help.

Hope For Sderot isn’t about the 278 bags of food we hand out each week, but rather the 278 families to which Ha’Shem allows us the privilege of being conduits of His love and comfort.

We are working with Hands Of Mercy and their “The Save The Children” war boxes project. A 40 ft. shipping container has now left the States and is scheduled for arrival here sometime in November. The container contains tons of food items like nutritional soup mix and dried fruit which will be packed into the “war boxes”. All the food items have been inspected by and have been stamped “Kosher” by a Rabbi in the States.

It is also bringing building supplies that we will use in assembling a simple conveyor system which will be used to assemble the “war boxes”. The first few groups of volunteers are being organized and will soon come and help pack the boxes. There is still much we are trusting Ha’Shem to do on our behalf such as the dealings with the Port Authorities.

The items already have an approval stamp from a stateside Rabbi, but will also require one from here. As we continue to step forward in what Ha’shem has put in our hearts to do, we do so in faith and with the knowledge that all those details of which we have no control are His responsibility.

Recently, we asked Linda if she would take on the responsibilities of a volunteer coordinator for Hope For Sderot. She will be working on a volunteer information page on the Hope For Sderot website. It will contain general information on how to volunteer as well as what to expect.

It will also include an overview of our ongoing weekly activities and special projects that volunteers can serve in. There are opportunities to serve whether one comes by themselves or with a group. Needless to say she said yes and in the weeks to come we will get the new page added to our web site.