About the Organization

Leket Israel, the National Food Bank, is the leading food rescue organization in Israel. Unique among all other organizations that serve the poor in Israel and food banks worldwide, Leket Israel’s sole focus is rescuing healthy, surplus food and delivering it to those in need through partner nonprofit organizations.

The Vision

An Israel where all surplus, nutritious food is rescued and directed to those who need it.

The Mission

To lead the safe, effective and efficient collection and distribution of surplus nutritious food in Israel, to those who need it.

Why was the organization established?

Joseph Gitler immigrated to Israel from New York in 2000 and soon became acquainted with the statistics of poverty in the State of Israel. These statistics included the understanding that poverty referred to even those who work for a living yet struggle to survive on a daily basis and still remain below the poverty line.

In 2003, Table to Table, the precursor to Leket Israel, was established with the goal of rescuing nutritious surplus food, preventing food waste and helping to eliminate the problem of food insecurity. The organization soon became Israel’s largest food and food distribution network.

What does Leket Israel do?

Leket Israel deals with harvesting surplus agricultural produce and collecting cooked meals then sorting and distributing them to the needy throughout the country. In addition, the Nutrition and Food Safety department ensures that the the collection and distribution of the food is held to the highest food safety regulations. Additionally, Leket Israel only donates 100% nutritious food.

Leket Israel works with a staff of professional dieticians who conduct nutrition workshops for targeted populations geared toward raising awareness of proper nutrition.

Leket Israel in Numbers

As of 2023:

  • 160 employees
  • 70,000 volunteers
  • Logistics Center:
    • Storage area of about 6,000 square meters
    • Cooling capacity of about 10,000 cubic meters
  • 67 dedicated vehicles
  • 34,500 tons of food
  • 100% healthy food
  • 296 nonprofit organizations that receive food from Leket Israel and deliver it to 330,000 Israelis in need per week
  • 325 Nutrition Education Workshops for at-risk populations

As of 2020:

  • 105 employees
  • 15,000 volunteers
  • Logistics Center:
    • Storage area of about 6,000 square meters
    • Cooling capacity of about 10,000 cubic meters
  • 27 dedicated vehicles
  • 19,916 tons of food
  • 100% healthy food
  • 330 nonprofit organizations that receive food from Leket Israel and deliver it to 246,000 needy Israelis per week
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The Vision

An Israel where all surplus, nutritious food is rescued and directed to those who need it.

The Mission

To lead the safe, effective and efficient collection and distribution of surplus nutritious food in Israel, to those who need it.