As Thanksgiving approaches and more people strive to give thanks and give back, Jewish Family Service (JFS) wants to thank everyone in the community who participated in this year’s Sukkot Food Drive.

The food drive looked a little different this year, taking place at the Mayerson JCC as part of the 10th annual Under One Roof community art exhibit. “We’ve partnered with Adath Israel in the past,” said Erica Nyberg, Agency Development Director for JFS. “They’ve been great partners and we can’t thank them enough. In fact, this year they literally rented a U-Haul truck to deliver the food they collected. But holding the food drive at the Mayerson JCC gave us a lot of foot traffic and word of mouth that we hadn’t had in the past.”

Other community partners this year included Temple Sholom, Etz Chaim, Rockdale Temple, Adath Israel, Rockwern Academy, and the Mayerson JCC Early Learning Center—not to mention the countless volunteers and community members who made donations. “The food drive is an opportunity for us to receive items which we need every month,” said Tracy Wilking, manager of the Heldman Family Food Pantry. “It’s also a great time for us to collect items that are more unusual, and a true treat, when clients find them on the shelves, such as Cincinnati chili or gefilte fish.”

Tracy explained that food and personal care items remain an essential need for a growing segment of community members as demand on the food pantry is up 20 percent since 2020-2021. “More than 200 area households rely on the food and supplies they get through our pantry,” said Tracy. “And ours is the only food pantry in the region that includes a full array of kosher foods, including meat.”

“This is the kind of turnout we like to see. It’s wonderful to be part of a community that steps up to help those in need.”

—Marsha Barsman, Jewish Family Service Development Chairman

The staff of Jewish Family Service was still counting the total number of items collected as of this writing, but one thing is certain: the donations more than filled their van. JFS CEO Liz Vogel and JFS Volunteer Programs Manager Beth Kotzin packed the extra donations into their personal vehicles so they could deliver them to the pantry. “While we don’t have an exact number of items, we will be able to fill the pantry’s need through April,” said Marsha Barsman, Development Chairman for JFS. “This is the kind of turnout we like to see. It’s wonderful to be part of a community that steps up to help those in need.”

While the food drive was in full swing at the Mayerson JCC, a determined seven-year-old named Sadie was volunteering at the food pantry—helping to stock the shelves with items she had collected herself. “She wanted to do a mitzvah for her birthday,” said her mother, Ashley. “She said she wanted to do a project, and not just give, so I reached out to JFS to see if she would be able to physically stock the shelves, and they said yes!”

With Ashley’s help, Sadie emailed a note to their neighbors explaining how and why she was collecting food and personal care items for the Heldman Family Food Pantry. The following Saturday, Sadie walked from door to door and collected the donations. “We wanted her to do everything herself,” said Ashley. “My husband and I did not want to be the ones to put it on our social media or ask our friends. Sadie was the driving force behind all of it.” 

To help guide her, Sadie had received a list of the pantry’s most needed items from Beth, and after she’d collected everything, she organized the donations into categories. With her birthday money, she then bought the additional items needed to round out the list. The day Sadie dropped off her donations and helped stock the shelves also happened to be the same day as the Sukkot Food Drive. “We had no idea,” Ashley said. “It was a really great coincidence and Sadie was able to see, not only the benefit of her work, but also the work of the entire community. She’s energized to do it again.” 

In the end, Sadie donated nearly 500 items—an achievement so inspiring, Marsha said she was already considering other ways to incorporate mitzvah projects into future Sukkot Food Drives. “It’s such a great learning experience for the kids, and it really highlights the importance of giving back.”

Tracy said the Sukkot Food Drive comes at a pivotal time of year. “The weather is starting to get cold, and that may mean people have to choose between heating their home or buying groceries. I am just so grateful to know our shelves will be filled for a time.” 

Even though this year’s Sukkot Food Drive was a success, Marsha felt obliged to remind folks that the pantry needs donations year-round. “I’m just so proud of our community for stepping up, but we need people to donate throughout the year, not just at Sukkot or Thanksgiving. People tend to give a lot at this time of year, but come springtime, there’s a lull. The pantry will always take donations of money, food, and supplies. It doesn’t have to be much, and every little bit helps.”