Listen to this articleThe Woodmere location of Stop & Shop has donated 2,000 pounds of kosher for Passover food to address what experts say is as an increased number of food insecurity in the Jewish communities of the Five Towns, southwestern Nassau and eastern Queens.
Stop & Shop donated the food to The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC’s Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry/S.H.O.P. (Sustenance Hope Opportunities Place). The pantry is considered the largest kosher food pantry on Long Island.
“We are honored to support the Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry/S.H.O.P. with this significant donation of Kosher for Passover food,” Artur Alchasov, store manager of Stop & Shop in Woodmere, said in a news release. “Passover is a time for families to come together and celebrate, and we want to ensure that no one in our community goes without the essential items needed for a meaningful observance of the holiday.
The donation comes at a time when more than 20,000 Jewish people struggle with food insecurity or live in poverty in southwestern Nassau and eastern Queens, according to Stacey Feldman, executive director of The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC.
Donations included jarred gefilte fish, tomato and marinara sauce, macaroons, canned pineapple, canned mushrooms, potatoes, mandarin oranges, hearts of palm, canned fruit, canned vegetables, cottonseed oil, canned tuna, matzah, matzah crackers, matzah meal and other holiday staples.
Stop & Shop’s donation was made in partnership with its Woodmere store, which has the largest kosher selection of all of the Stop & Shop stores in New York.
“The Rina Shkolnik Kosher Food Pantry, located at The Marion & Aaron Gural JCC’s social services hub, The S.H.O.P., serves as a lifeline for many individuals and families, providing them with access to kosher food and resources they may otherwise struggle to afford,” Feldman said in a written statement.
“Stop & Shop’s generous donation allows The S.H.O.P. to alleviate some of the financial burdens faced by members of our community, allowing them to focus on celebrating Pesach,” Feldman added.
The S.H.O.P. is a joint initiative of the Marion & Aaron Gural JCC and UJA-Federation of New York and is supported by Community Chest South Shore.
The food pantry began by helping 35 families and now works with over 800 families from the Five Towns and neighboring communities in Nassau and Queens.
