Sep 18, 2024

Leket Shifts Focus to Helping Farmers After October 7

Answering the needs of Israel’s farmers and hungry families who have been hit particularly hard since October 7, Leket is now focusing on propping up the country’s agricultural industry and distributing more food to those in need. Since its founding in 2003, the Federation-funded Leket has concentrated on “rescuing” crops and prepared food from industrial kitchens that would have been destroyed or thrown away and distributing the items through about 270 partner organizations to Israeli families in need. However, since October 7, Leket has shifted to organizing and dispatching more than 70,000 volunteers to help Israeli farmers plant, prune and harvest crops. Rather than receiving the crops as donations — the traditional model — Leket is buying them from the farmers directly, thereby boosting their incomes. The organization has also set up mobile fruit and vegetable carts in hotels to provide produce free of charge to displaced families.