Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago to Deliver Passover Food Boxes to Thousands Across Illinois

On April 10, 2022, the nonprofit organization, Maot Chitim, will join forces with more than 1,000 volunteers to deliver over 5,000 food packages, totaling over 200,000 pounds of food, to Jewish recipients struggling with food insecurity.

NORTHBROOK, Ill., April 7, 2022  /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Maot Chitim is preparing to help approximately 16,000 Jewish families celebrate Passover in a traditional and dignified manner. On April 10, 2022, the nonprofit organization will join forces with more than 1,000 volunteers to deliver over 5,000 food packages, totaling over 200,000 pounds of food, to Jewish recipients struggling with food insecurity.

For Passover, the boxes typically contain traditional foods to help a family celebrate the holiday, including kosher chicken, eggs, gefilte fish, cooking oil, wine, tea, jelly, celery, carrots, Shabbat and yahrzeit candles, and matzo. Donations help Maot Chitim cover the costs of the food boxes, ranging from $54 for a single person to over $100 for a family of four.

For more than 100 years, Maot Chitim has provided food to recipients who might not otherwise be able to celebrate the Passover Seder. Longtime supporter Governor J.B. Pritzker recently celebrated our organization's work: "Maot Chitim's service reflects the universal lesson of modern Passover: we are all at our best when we look out for one another – when we invite all who are hungry to come and eat. I offer my gratitude to the many volunteers working to ensure their neighbors can feel proud of their Passover table, as everyone deserves."

Lonnie Nasatir, President of the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago, supports the mission and volunteers his time, noting,"Maot Chitim is an amazing organization that takes care of the most vulnerable in our community and does so with grace and respect. On a personal level, my family has so enjoyed the tradition of delivering meals to such welcoming and appreciative people."

With the pandemic entering its third year, an increasing number of people are battling to make ends meet. Since March 2020, over 3.5 million individuals and families throughout Illinois have signed up for food assistance.

According to Executive Director Joellyn Stoliar, "This year, more than ever, our recipients need to connect with people from the outside world. The past two years have devastated those who struggle to get their daily needs met. Our volunteers frequently tell us that participating in this act of kindness is often more rewarding to the volunteer than the recipient. If you have the time to help us pack and/or deliver food boxes, or you would like to make a donation, we would appreciate your help. It will be an experience you will never forget."

To the volunteers helping pack and distribute the food, the experience is often a family affair. Congressman Brad Schneider (IL-10) recounts what Maot Chitim means to his family: "From initially delivering boxes with our then young sons, to more recently greeting volunteers as they arrive, Maot Chitim has been a part of our family for nearly three decades. I've always been inspired by Maot Chitim and how it brings the whole community, young and old, together to make sure every Jew in Chicago can have a special Passover."

Maot Chitim invites you to be a part of this tradition. 

Join us on Sunday, April 10, 2022, at the warehouse located at 1610 Deerfield Rd. in Highland Park, IL (formerly a Toys R Us store).

We welcome volunteers for various tasks:

Packing perishable food into boxes: timeslots available from 6:00 AM to 8:45 AM.

Loading boxes into waiting delivery vehicles: timeslots available from 8:45 AM to 10:30 AM

If you'd like to sign up for a time slot or make a financial contribution, please visit https://maotchitim.org/.

Media Contact

Rafi Arbel, Maot Chitim, 1 312.970.9353, [email protected]

Joellyn Stoliar, Maot Chitim, 847.674.3224, [email protected]

SOURCE Maot Chitim