The Welfare Ministry has tasked Colel Chabad to launch the national initiative to provide food security over the next five years.

 The national initiative to provide food security was the brainchild of Israeli President Isaac Herzog when he was Welfare Minister over a decade ago. He maintained that the national initiative to provide food security is the best solution to hunger in Israel. After six years of success in various districts throughout Israel, Welfare Minister Meir Cohen will triple the number of families participating in the program since it has proved to be credible and efficient.

The initiative’s budget will be 750 million shekalim over the next five years. Of that, 470 million shekel from the Welfare Ministry and 75 million shekalim from local municipalities.

The aid provided in the program, which includes 6,000 shekalim per family per year, includes: supermarket gift cards and transporting fruits and vegetables to the homes of the needy families. It also consists of a seminar on financial independence and helping people realize the opportunities available to them. 

The program will be able to expand its budget to 300 million shekalim per year, translating into 1.5 billion shekalim per year. A budget expansion would depend on the increased demand.

 The initiative also includes distributing food for infants, including formula and baby food for needy families, to the tune of 7 million shekalim per year. “We would like to thank the Welfare Minister, Meir Cohen, for prioritizing the initiative to provide a solution for families suffering from severe food insecurity,” said Rabbi Sholom Duchman and Rabbi Mendy Blau, managers of the Colel Chabad food distribution center.

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