BROOKLYN, New York โ New York Gov. Kathy Hochul joined Met Council on Jewish Poverty on Wednesday as the organization distributed kosher food to families during a record High Holiday campaign that provided more than two million pounds of food to New Yorkers in need.
Met Council said it distributed 2,016,982 pounds of kosher food ahead of Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot, describing the effort as the largest Jewish High Holiday food distribution in American history.
Working with 162 partner organizations, Met Council distributed fresh produce, proteins, apples, honey, grape juice and other traditional holiday foods, along with household staples.
More than 500 volunteers participated in the campaign, which included 13 Market by Met Council sites and expanded distribution efforts into Long Island and upstate New York.
Hochul joined volunteers and Met Council staff at the organization’s Brooklyn Hub, located between Borough Park and Bensonhurst, to distribute food directly to families.
“The state is proud to partner with Met Council, and some of the food being distributed here comes through our Nourish New York program,” Hochul said. “It’s important that food grown right here in New York can go right to New Yorkers who need it.”
More Than Two Million Pounds Of Food
This year’s distribution included 659,432 pounds of fresh produce, 55,026 bottles of grape juice and 48,384 bottles of honey.
Families also received apples, chicken, frozen fish, eggs, soup mix and tea biscuits, as well as pantry staples including canned fruits and vegetables, flour, oil, pasta, rice, beans and canned fish.
Some of the produce was supplied through Nourish New York, a state program that purchases New York agricultural products and directs them to food banks and emergency food providers.
The program is designed to support New York farmers while providing locally produced food to residents facing food insecurity.
For observant Jewish families, access to kosher food can be challenging because conventional food assistance programs and pantries may not consistently carry products that meet religious dietary requirements.
Met Council operates what it describes as the world’s largest kosher food pantry network, reaching more than 350,000 people annually.
Kosher Infant Formula Now Covered By WIC
Hochul’s visit also highlighted a recent change affecting Jewish families participating in the federal Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children, commonly known as WIC.
During the visit, the governor distributed Cholov Yisroel infant formula to families.
New York’s Department of Health approved specially certified kosher formula for WIC in August following what Met Council described as a three-year effort involving the organization and the Hochul administration.
The change means eligible families who observe Cholov Yisroel dietary standards can use WIC benefits to purchase qualifying formula.
“I’m really proud that we can now have kosher baby formula covered by WIC,” Hochul said. “Being a mom-governor, I understand how important baby formula is.”
WIC provides nutritional assistance to eligible pregnant women, new mothers, infants and young children.
More Than A Food Pantry
Hochul also toured Met Council’s Brooklyn Hub, a community center operated by Met Council and funded by UJA-Federation of New York.
The facility brings multiple social services together under one roof.
In addition to its kosher food pantry, the Hub provides assistance with SNAP and Medicaid applications and renewals, health insurance, employment and career services, senior programs, Holocaust survivor services, legal assistance, emergency financial support and family and elder abuse services.
Hochul toured one of Met Council’s Social Care Network screening centers at the facility.
Social Care Networks are part of a New York initiative that uses Medicaid resources to address social factors that can contribute to poor health, including access to nutritious food, stable housing and transportation.
The model connects Medicaid recipients with community organizations that can provide assistance before those needs contribute to more serious medical problems.
“This is what partnership between government and community organizations looks like,” Met Council CEO David G. Greenfield said.
“Gov. Hochul has helped turn government programs into real help for people, from securing food for communities through Nourish New York, to making WIC work for families who need Cholov Yisroel formula, to using Medicaid resources to address problems before they become health crises.”
Serving New Yorkers Since 1972
Founded in 1972, the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty provides food assistance and social services to New Yorkers experiencing poverty and other hardships.
The organization says its social services division directly assists more than 34,000 New Yorkers through financial assistance and enrollment in government programs.
Its programs also serve Holocaust survivors, seniors and victims of domestic abuse, while supporting an affordable housing network within New York’s Jewish community.
The record High Holiday campaign combines that year-round work with the particular needs of Jewish families preparing for some of the most important days on the Jewish calendar.
With more than two million pounds of food distributed this year, the goal was straightforward: ensuring financial hardship did not prevent Jewish families from putting traditional food on their tables for the holidays.
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