The Emergency Food Fund was the inaugural program of Tomche Shabbos of Rockland County. Since our founding in 1973, many thousands of boxes of free food have been delivered to the homes of struggling families.

The weekly food packages contain everything a family needs for Shabbos, including chicken, fish, challah, grape juice, and eggs, as well as fruits, vegetables, canned goods, and other essential food items. Pre-Yom Tov packages contain many additional items, such as honey before Rosh Hashana and maror and matzos before Pesach.

After the boxes of food are carefully assembled at the Tomche Shabbos warehouse, they are delivered discreetly to the front doors of destitute families late Thursday night, under the cover of darkness.

Tomche Shabbos is currently the largest provider of food assistance in Rockland County. Our recipients, who are carefully screened for eligibility, include widows, orphans, elderly individuals, and families struggling with medical crises or sudden unemployment. Many of these impoverished members of our community would go hungry without the weekly Tomche Shabbos food packages, and so we feel a sense of urgency and responsibility to adequately provide for their needs.

The explosive growth of our community, combined with the current difficult economic situation, has left more families facing financial distress than ever before. In our first year, we serviced only two dozen families. Today, Tomche Shabbos delivers weekly food packages to over 500 families in Rockland County.

The Tomche Shabbos Emergency Food Fund is operated entirely by volunteers. Doctors, lawyers, entrepreneurs, and students work side by side, assembling food packages or loading their vehicles for nighttime deliveries. These dedicated volunteers are unaware of the recipients’ identities, yet they package and deliver with the enthusiasm and respect one would exhibit when assisting a beloved family member.

The Emergency Food Fund relies on the continued dedication of its volunteers and the generosity of kindhearted contributors to continue its vital work of providing food packages to the many families who depend on our assistance. We invite you to join in our efforts and help feed the most vulnerable members of our community.