Many years of working in food security has taught us what hunger looks like.
It is hard to identify sometimes, elusive and shaming.
But we choose to focus on the moments after they've eaten.
The color returning to their face, the light returning to their eyes, the silent thank you.
Every day, around Israel for almost 15 years, we at the Meir Panim network of soup kitchens host people who need a hot satisfying meal, a smile, a community and a conversation. The meals are prepared at a high culinary level while also focusing on nutritional value. The meal is dignified and uplifting.
Besides the daily catering mission, we hand out food stamps, operate youth clubs and camps, prepare meals for students, give out food during the holidays and deliver meals to homes.
We choose to include in our work people who need occupational rehabilitation. They are with us in the soup kitchens and receive a symbolic scholarship and a feeling of dignity for their value.
The Meir Panim network promotes community cooperation ans support and serves as a platform of synergized justice that connects those who love and pursue justice with those who truly need it.