New Year, Same Empty Fridge

The start of a new year is filled with hope. It’s a time when families gather, plans are made, and people look forward to a fresh beginning. For most, the new year represents the comfort of believing that tomorrow can be better than today. There is a shared sense of renewal, possibility, growth, and opportunity.

For tens of thousands of families across Israel, however, the new year arrives with a familiar and painful reality that the fridge is still empty. Hunger is not seasonal. It is constant.

At Yad Ezra V’Shulamit, we work every day to ensure that hope is matched with action. Families turn to us at every stage of life, from newborns to grandparents, not only for food, but for stability, dignity, and the reassurance that they are not alone.

For parents of babies, the need is especially urgent. Items like baby formula are not optional, and its cost places a burden on families already struggling to make ends meet. Today, a single can of Materna baby formula costs $19.14 (60 ILS), an expense many families cannot afford. Through our Feed a Baby program, we provide hundreds of families with formula they need each month, ensuring that no infant goes hungry and parents can care for their babies with peace of mind.

And baby formula is just one piece of the picture. Each week, Yad Ezra V’Shulamit distributes 12,000 food baskets and vouchers to families in need across Israel. These baskets include chicken, rice, pasta, fruits, vegetables, dairy products, and canned goods.

For children, hunger affects more than the body. It impacts learning, confidence and hope. At our Children’s Centers in Jerusalem, Tzfat, and Neve Yaakov, hundreds of children receive a daily hot lunch.

As the year moves forward, empty fridges don’t refill themselves. But with the support of dedicated donors and volunteers, we can ensure that families don’t face this reality alone.

A new year should mean renewed hope, not continued hunger. Together, we can make sure that babies are fed, children are nourished, and families start the year with what every home deserves: food on the table and dignity intact.

Because even when the fridge starts out empty, compassion has the power to fill it.