[COMMUNICATED CONTENT] That frenetic Erev Pesach rush is on.  Counters are covered in plastic and foil, and a joyous atmosphere prevails not only here, but all over Eretz YIsroel, too. Parents that often send their children to school with empty lunch bags and rarely put any chicken on the table now rejoice with the nine boxes and sacks of fresh fruits, vegetables, chicken, matzos, wine, and other groceries and cleaning supplies that they found at their front doors this morning.

The packages didn’t get there on their own, of course. Tov V’Chesed, under the direction of R’ Yakov Eliezer Shisha has been planning and working hard since early February for this to happen. The work climaxed this week as over 3,500 deliveries were made b’derech kavod to families all over 35 neighborhoods including Yerushalayim, Bnei Brak, Beit Shemesh, Beitar, Kiryat Sefer, Brachfeld, Tzfas, Tiveria and beyond. Each package contains everything a family will need for this 7 day Yom Tov – 46 products in all.

The credit for this amazing accomplishment goes to donors from all over the world, and to an indefatigable crew of 52 remarkable volunteers and employees who sacrificed their health the past two weeks, working for long shifts around the clock for this to happen. The directors were happy to make this sacrifice, though. R’ Yakov Eliezer Shisha, who experienced the hunger and shame of poverty as a child, made it his life’s mission to deliver food to as many families as he could in a manner that does not cause them any embarrassment. His crew of volunteers is happy to join him at the giving end of chesed.

Early last Sunday morning they showed up at the warehouse to receive a whopping 15,000 empty cardboard boxes. Within three days, truckloads of food, drinks and supplies were delivered until stacks of boxes fill the warehouse almost completely.

For the next three days, the volunteers stood almost shoulder to shoulder in the tight space that was left between the towers of food and swiftly placed 46 different products into each box as it moved along a conveyor belt. The boys worked fast, delighted in the knowledge that they had a part in providing Yom Tov food for needy families.

This Motzei Shabbos they worked an all-nighter as close to 200 pallets of fresh fruits and vegetables were trucked in between 11pm and 6am. The lined-up stacks of produce nearly filled the entire street outside the warehouse.

A few hours later, as ten trucks were being loaded by ten separate delivery crews, the volunteers suddenly beheld a surprise visitor. Harav Yakov Meir Schechter Shlita showed up to encourage and praise the crew for their amazing work.

This is the first time that the Rav visited Tov V’Chesed’s new warehouse since the renovations to this building were completed several months ago. He spent over an hour talking to the directors and being mispallel for the welfare of all the donors and recipients. Two years ago, when the askanim asked the Rav for his bracha before they purchased the building, he told them that this place would be a ‘makom Hashem’ and that tefillos will be answered here. He now put that power to work.

He assumed a pose that one would while davening at mekomos hakedoshim and, right near the file cabinets, he stood and said tehilim for the families whose identification papers and appeal letters were stored inside. He also read the list of donors’ names and davened for their wellbeing and success.

The Rav then accepted the honor of putting a mezuzah on the main entrance to the warehouse, and said ‘mizmor shir chanikas habayis’ with a tefilla for the success of the work that takes place inside.

On Monday night, while the second and third delivery routes were well under way, the world-renowned mashpia Harav Elimielech Biderman shlita came from Bnei Brak to see the excitement for himself. He remarked that he doesn’t understand why Moshiach hasn’t come yet as a result of all this chesed.  After davening for our donors, he davened for yeshios klall yisrael, saying that the power of the chesed that takes place here can bring big yeshios. He asked R’ Yakov Eliezer Shisha to use his power of chesed and say tehilim along with him. He then asked for a personal bracha from each volunteer that was there.

Shortly thereafter, the Rachmastrivke Rebbe shlita came to express his hakoras hatov to the organization for helping so many families. After touring the spacious new facility, the Rebbe was also mispallel for the donors and put up a mezua.

Meanwhile, there is still a lot of activity in the conference room, too. New requests for help continue to pour in, and a board of Rabbanim are sorting through the applications. In addition to the 3,500 families that we are already committed to, we would like to take in another 800 families that really need our help, but we need your help to do so.

Please send your kimcah d’pischa now at www.tovvchesed.com. Once the warehouse is empty, the money you send will be distributed as coupons that your recipients can redeem at their local supermarkets. From past experience, we know that people will still be looking for relief as late as Erev Pesach afternoon. Each request is a desperate cry for help that we can’t ignore.

Can you?

Make a difference! Send your Pesach package now.