Yad Ezra opened its doors in 1990 to provide kosher food to vulnerable Jewish families in Southeast Michigan. Yad Ezra’s founders learned that there were impoverished Jews living in the community who relied heavily on government assistance programs, including food stamps.

Yad Ezra was founded to alleviate some of our clients’ financial burdens by distributing groceries to families in need. In 1990, Yad Ezra served an average of 250 families every month. Currently we provide an average of 1,200 impoverished families (almost 2,500 individuals) with food, health care items and household goods every month. In addition, Yad Ezra distributes appropriate foods that help enhance the clients’ celebration of every Jewish holiday.

Aside from providing a variety of kosher food options, Yad Ezra also:

  • Supports Jewish Day School lunch programs which benefit nearly 400 children
  • Arranges off-site deliveries for clients who are physically unable to come in
  • Provides monthly groceries to families in Ann Arbor, Flint, JARC & Kadima homes
  • Offers a drive-thru window for those wishing to keep anonymity
  • Offers financial assistance through the Harold & Mini Wade Simcha Fund for clients celebrating life cycle events

Vision

A JEWISH COMMUNITY WITHOUT HUNGER

Mission Statement

Yad Ezra provides supplemental kosher food, necessities and enhancements of holidays and lifecycle events to those in need in the Jewish community. We are committed to operating a high quality food pantry through hard work and support of staff, volunteers and donors.

Core Values

  • Treat clients with dignity, respect and compassion
  • Operate efficiently, transparently and responsibly
  • Focus on continuous improvement
  • Encourage and expand community involvement

Yad Ezra distributes approximately 1,100,000 pounds of free groceries to families in need annually.

Financial

Ethics

What We Do

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Survey of Food Costs

Every year, Yad Ezra’s leadership sends Jody Kaplan, Yad Ezra’s administrative assistant, shopping at a local grocery store to see what the retail cost of the items that we distribute would be if client families had to purchase them.

The result is always the same. Thanks to Yad Ezra’s purchasing power and warehouse space, we can purchase the grocery items at a 40% savings!

Clients can then use their already stretched budgets on other necessities and Yad Ezra’s donation dollars have bigger buying power.

It’s a win-win!

YE vs. Retail Cost

Family SizeYE cost 2019Retail Cost
Groceries for 2$45.71$78.83
Groceries for 5$88.35$152.56