Food Delivery for Homebound Seniors
In March 2020 the COVID-19 pandemic took hold of the world, shuttering businesses, schools and organizations. Millions around the globe were forced into isolation. Most affected were the vulnerable elderly, who were afraid to venture out even for basic necessities.
Common sense dictated closing the Chamah Soup Kitchen in Moscow, where the needy members of the Jewish community spent their day in company of their friends and ate their only hot meal of the day. But despite the grave danger of keeping our facility open, we knew we could not let them go hungry—or G-d forbid—worse. We greatly expanded our Meals-on-Wheels Program, and for the past 23 months our five Chamah vans have been delivering fresh nutritious meals daily to the homes of hundreds of our vulnerable seniors, making sure the food arrived fresh and in a timely manner.
But these constant trips took their toll on our old Chamah vans. Three of them were beyond repair. A new food delivery van costs $15,000 in Russia, a bargain compared to US prices. But where would we get $45,000? Our budget was already strained to the limit due to the high cost of our emergency measures.
And then, Rabbi Hillel Zaltzman, President of Chamah, spoke to Michael Rolnick, his good friend and longtime supporter, and told him of our predicament. Michael agreed to donate a brand new van. When Michael watched the video of his van loaded with food making deliveries to the homes of the grateful elderly recipients, he was so moved, he donated a second van!
Michael Rolnick
Sadly, the pandemic is still raging in Moscow and our elderly brethren remain in isolation. Another generous donor followed Michael’s lead and donated a third van! Now our Chamah vans are hard at work every day, bringing nutritious food and a bit of sunshine into their lonely lives, ensuring that they don’t go hungry and letting them know they have not been forgotten.
