What Yad Ezra Wishes More People Knew

Our staff has so many things they wish more people knew about Yad Ezra. In the spirit of helping you understand our mission, let’s hear about what Yad Ezra wishes more people knew about!

How We Get our Food

A large portion of how we obtain the food to feed our clients is very different from other food pantries. Many food pantries rely solely on food donations to feed families, while we do accept food donations, we pay for 90% of our food. Yad Ezra has a unique model, in which we are a total choice pantry. Clients can select the exact food they want based on our grocery sheet that stays the same from month to month. To serve our clients and meet their needs, we have to purchase the same items in bulk from week to week.

Now you might be wondering: what do you do with food donations? Great question! We have “bonus” items that we give our clients. These bonus items are not listed on the client’s sheet, and they do not have to use their points towards them. Based on our inventory of bonus items, each order receives one bonus item off the donation shelf to add to it. Other than that, we are purchasing most of our grocery items and are using monetary donations to fund our garden that grows fresh produce for our clients.

Client Dignity

Client dignity is of the utmost importance to us. Every day, we strive to preserve our client’s dignity and ensure they feel welcomed and that Yad Ezra is a safe space for them. We respect our clients and keep their personal information private.

Furthermore, many clients may feel they are in a vulnerable position while receiving food assistance. One of the options available for clients is our anonymous pick-up window. This is a great tool for clients who may not feel comfortable coming inside our building to check in. One day a week, clients who opt into this option will drive up in their cars, and a staff member will bring their order directly to them.
Our number one goal is to help our clients, and we would never want to jeopardize their dignity. No matter what the circumstances are, we are there for our clients and strive to do our best for them.

Meeting Our Client Needs

Apart from just providing our clients with food, we do what we can to be there for the community and listen to our clients’ needs.
A great example of this was during COVID-19. During this time, there was, of course, a need for vaccines, and we were able to provide our clients with vaccinations on our property.

Additionally, there was a request for Cholov Yisroel items from our clients. Since we knew they wanted them and that it was important to them, we now provide Cholov Yisroel items, such as string cheese.

Our Staff

For those of you who do not know, Yad Ezra only has 10 wonderful staff members! While this may seem small, every staff member is incredibly dedicated to their work and does an amazing job in their roles.

Most of the faces a client or a donor may see belong to our team of volunteers. We have a very hard-working group of returning and new volunteers who ensure that our 1,500 families a month are taken care of with respect.

Emergency Support

Something that our team wants everyone to know is that we can help anyone, regardless of whether they are Jewish or not! To be a returning client, there are certain criteria someone must meet, such as identifying as Jewish or being employed by a Jewish agency. If someone does not meet that requirement, we will not turn them away; we will provide them with a one-time emergency visit. Even though we cannot accept them as a returning client, we will ensure they receive a full grocery order from us and leave with referrals to where they can find further support.
Additionally, we also have items in case someone who is homeless comes to us. In this type of emergency, we have ready-to-eat food items, hygiene products, and other essentials we can offer to someone if they are in need.

Yad Ezra is so much more than a food pantry. From our total choice model that lets clients pick exactly what they need, to the dignity we protect through the options of our pick-up window, everything we do is rooted in respect for the people we serve.

None of this would be possible without our small but mighty staff and our incredible volunteers!