Alameda County Community Food Bank

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Contact: Judyth Collin
(510) 636-4902

15th Annual High Holy Days Food Drive Kicks Off Holiday Food Drive Season
—Food Collection Efforts from September 12 – 22 Will Benefit Food Bank —

6 September 2007 -- (Oakland, CA) –– It’s never too early to get a jump on collecting food for the holidays, which begins this year for the Alameda County Community Food Bank through the 15th annual High Holy Days Food Drive that runs from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur, September 12 - 22. Considered the most holy time of the year in the Jewish calendar, the collection effort will culminate in a 2-hour food drop on Saturday, September 22 from 8 am – 10 am at the Paramount Theater (2025 Broadway) and Temple Sinai (2808 Summit Street) in Oakland.

“We observe Yom Kippur with prayer and fasting, and it is this practice that inspires empathy in the Jewish community for those who face hunger daily,” states Dan McClosky, who is affiliated with Temple Sinai of Oakland and serves as honorary chairperson for this year’s food drive. “The food drive helps us make a tangible contribution to our community during this holy period.”

The goal for the drive is to collect 35,000 pounds, enough to provide 27, 350 meals. Since its inaugural year at a Berkeley synagogue in 1992, the High Holiday Food Drive has grown to encompass numerous synagogues and Jewish organizations throughout the Bay Area.

“This summer the Food Bank’s Food Helpline experienced a record level of emergency food requests, and we anticipate a very busy fall and winter,” said Suzan Bateson, Food Bank executive director. “It’s impressive to see hundreds of families dropping off food during the 2-hour window and shows how the power of community can come together to help meet the nutrition needs of low-income children and adults we serve each week.”