Leket Israel projects are run by staff and volunteers, and provide tens of thousands of meals every week for people in need. Among our projects:
Founded in 2005, Project Leket is an initiative that sends thousands of volunteers and dozens of paid pickers into fields and orchards to gather produce donated or left to rot by farmers (75 tons/week). In 2010, the project rescued 9 million lbs of fruits and vegetables from over 300 farms throughout Israel. All produce is delivered free of charge to over 290 nonprofit organizations serving Israel's needy.
Founded in 2006, Sandwiches for Kids enlists hundreds of volunteers to prepare and distribute over 7,000 sandwiches each day for children from underprivileged homes in 100 schools from Tzfat and Tiberias in Israel's north to Be'er Sheva and Netivot in the south.
Founded in 2003, Nighttime Meal Rescue was Leket Israel's first project to go national. In 2010, nearly 800 registered volunteers collected 350,000 excess meal in the late evening hours from over 200 banquet halls, caterers, restaurants, and food malls throughout Israel. Rescued food is immediately transported to local nonprofit organizations or placed in refrigeration for distribution to soup kitchens, shelters and other nonprofits the following morning.
Founded in 2003, the Daytime Food Rescue program works to collect food from corporate cafeterias, packing houses, and food producers throughout Israel. In 2010, Leket Israel's logistics staff and volunteers rescued 400,000 meals and over 300 tons of perishable manufactured products. Leket Israel's food cargo drivers redistributed the collected excess to over 290 nonprofits throughout Israel.
Founded in 2008, Project Good Afternoon, also known as "Tzaharayim Tovim", was established to meet the growing demand for in-kind donations of prepared food, especially among nonprofits struggling to provide quality food to the needy. The project matches up food establishments with local nonprofits in peripheral areas of the country. Food is picked up by local volunteers in the afternoon and delivered to partner nonprofits.
Leket Israel has instituted the only joint purchasing cooperative for nonprofits in the country providing them with discounts of up to 25% on food commodity purchases. Through group buying and economies of scale, Leket Israel enables over 100 participating nonprofits to save hundreds of thousands of shekels a year in food expenses.
Founded in 2010, Leket Israel's "Nutrition for Life" program works to educate food insecure Israelis and the agencies who serve them to the importance of good nutrition. The program offers hands on workshops, lectures, and training with an emphasis on helping at-risk population groups on limited budgets, and partner nonprofits improve the nutritional value and food balance of food baskets and daily meals.
Founded in 2009, Leket Israel's "Food Safety Support" program offers partner nonprofits with free professional assessments and capacity building grants to help identify and fund the purchase of critical infrastructure needed to ensure the proper handling, storage, and safety of food provisions.