“This is the biggest mitzvah I’ve ever done,” exclaims Lijah Gotlieb, 9 years old, from Spring Valley, NY, while volunteering with Leket Israel.

Leket Israel is at the forefront of volunteering in Israel. Whether families, Federation missions, Bar or Bat Mitzvah celebrations, schools, organized trips from Israel and abroad, global company groups, corporations leading the hi-tech industry or small businesses, Leket hosts over 60,000 volunteers annually. 

Leket’s flagship volunteer activities include:

1. Project Leket: agricultural gleaning of produce in fields in northern and central Israel.
2. Sorting and packing rescued produce in Leket Israel’s main logistics center, the heart of the organization, in Ra’anana.

Once ready for delivery, Leket’s truck drivers immediately deliver the fresh fruits and vegetables to 195 non-profit partners that serve 175,000+ needy people weekly.

At the Leket Israel logistics center this year alone, the number of volunteers has more than doubled. At the mid-year point in 2016, there were approximately 4,500 logistics center volunteers, while in 2017 there have already been almost 11,000 volunteers.

Leket Israel takes tremendous pride in its dedicated volunteers, without whom our vital mission to rescue and distribute surplus food could not continue to expand and grow to reach even more Israelis in need. Joseph Gitler, Leket Israel’s Founder and Chairman shares: “It’s terrific when groups come and get their hands dirty volunteering with Leket Israel; it is a wonderful way for people to connect with the cause, the land and Israel overall. People see that they can make a true difference, even with limited time.”