Over the summer, Leket Israel hosted its third annual Bridge the Food Gap event at its Logistics Center in Ra’anana for tourists and ex-pats from the United Kingdom. Over 100 volunteers attended the two-hour event, where they had the opportunity to sort and pack fresh rescued produce to be distributed to needy Israelis. Leket Israel was pleased to host members of the British Embassy in Israel, including Ambassador David Quarrey and UK Military Attaché Colonel Ronnie Westerman who rolled up their sleeves to volunteer as well.
Guests were greeted by Gidi Kroch, CEO of Leket Israel, who welcomed the UK visitors to Leket and thanked them for volunteering. “We know that many of you are in Israel on holiday and it takes a special type of person to spend some of that time giving back to those in need,” Kroch observed. “Hunger doesn’t take a vacation and neither do the hardworking volunteers of Leket Israel.”
Mr. Kroch then introduced Ambassador Quarrey and thanked him for coming. “We are honored to welcome our friend and partner Ambassador Quarrey to volunteer at Leket. Your support and cooperation goes a long way in rescuing fresh nutritious food. We appreciate you coming and getting your hands dirty and we hope that others will follow your lead.”
The Ambassador responded, “Thank you Leket for inviting me and the British Embassy staff to experience the important work that you do. It has been a privilege to make a small contribution and to see the impact that Leket has on so many people and communities across Israel. It was also another reminder of the huge contribution that British olim (immigrants) and visitors make to local communities here.”
Many of the volunteers were British citizens who moved to Israel and live in nearby cities. “No matter how long you’ve been in Israel you still always have that connection to your home country,” Zara Provisor, UK Development Coordinator at Leket Israel, pointed out. “It’s nice to have an opportunity to get together with other Brits and do something good.”
The volunteers sorted and packed 5 tons of beets, peppers, cabbage, and onions, enough to feed 1,000 needy Israeli families.
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