Food Bank is All Hands on Deck For Family

Rabbi Moshe and Sivan Hezrony have been operating a kosher food bank in New Jersey since 2014. During the coronavirus pandemic, their services proved to be crucial -- with their entire family pitching in. Full Story, Video

June 15, 2020 – 23 Sivan 5780

Rabbi Moshe Hezrony and family have been operating a kosher food bank, Roosevelt Community4u, since 2014. What started with the delivery of 60-100 non-perishable food packages a month has jumped to 350 per week due to the economic effects of the coronavirus pandemic.

Last week, Community4u hosted its second drive-thru food distribution at the Modway lot- 329 Wyckoff Mills Rd East in Windsor, New Jersey. The Food Bank distributed 113,000 pounds of food. A combination of fresh produce and non-perishable items were distributed (milk, feta cheese, bread, pastries, snacks, produce, and more.)

Community4u succeeded to meet those demands and distributed food to 1086 families. Over a thousand homes and hearts are now full, pantries have been stocked, meals have been made, and the community recognizes that despite the challenging times we are in, we are still together helping one another.

“We are serving more and more families daily,” said Rabbi Hezrony who with his wife Sivan Hezrony are the driving forces behind this operation. They’ve expanded their services which now include delivery of prepared meals to families and seniors. Together with their six children, the Hezrony family is able to continue feeding locals. All six children are involved in this operation.

Noam Hezrony, their eldest takes care of the IT, Youval Hezrony photography and videography, Nitsan Hezrony oversees the logistics of this operation, Rachel Hezrony runs the social media and marketing department, Leah Hezrony serves as their fundraising coordinator, and Rivky Hezrony is the secretary.

While continuing the weekly delivery of non-perishables (packages also include dairy products and produce), an additional 300 recipients have been added to the prepared foods list.

Most of the deliveries are made in the Roosevelt area, including East Windsor, Twin Rivers, and Monroe Township, and residents of two apartment buildings in New Brunswick joined the list back in April. In addition to the weekly food packages, the food bank distributes cooked Shabbos and Yom Tov meals.

The organization is supported by private donations and local businesses, including Just4wheels, Evergreen Lakewood, Glatt 27; and large corporations, including Modway Furniture, Osem USA, Lieber’s, Blooms, Tnuva, Devash, Kleins, Target, Walmart, The Home Depot, and others.

Rabbi Hezrony says he was inspired by his mentor, Rabbi Chaim Shlomo Cohen, whose small neighborhood efforts grew to become a large-scale hunger assistance organization known as MADA Community Center in Montreal, Canada.

Rabbi Cohen’s work “impacted me a lot and this is one of the triggers that kicked” off Roosevelt Community 4u, Hezrony said. After all, “A warm soup can warm the heart.”

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