Our Vision
Our vision is an Israel in which everybody has reliable access to nutritious food.
Our Mission
Our mission is to fight hunger in Israel by rescuing food and distributing it to the people who need it most. Nearly 22% of Israelis experience food insecurity, among them children, the elderly, refugees, and people of nearly every background. Simultaneously, 35% of the edible food in Israel is wasted every year. If this wasted food was distributed to the hungry rather than thrown away, hunger would cease to be an issue in Israel. Cue Pesia’s Kitchen. In 2021, Pesia’s Kitchen delivered one and a half million meal units to Tel Aviv’s hungry residents. We aim to replicate our model throughout Israel to help make our vision a reality.
How We Do It
While food rescue and distribution is not a unique mission, Pesia’s Kitchen accomplishes this mission in a unique way. Our unique method of operation has three key aspects:
First, our staff. Pesia’s Kitchen is a lean organization, operating with an annual budget of approximately 1 million shekels (approximately $300,000). With just five full-time employees, our team of over 100 volunteers allows us to maintain our scale of operation while keeping costs low.
Second, our location. We operate in South Tel Aviv, the part of the city with the most hungry residents. Our offices, food storage space, and soup kitchen are in repurposed donated shipping containers. As such, the cost of delivering rescued food to the hungry is minimal.
Third, our food. We rescue mostly fresh produce and distribute healthy and nutritious meals consisting of fruits, vegetables, and dry goods. By partnering with other non-profit organizations such as Leket Israel and Latet, and working with local bakeries, groceries and restaurants, we rescue food that would otherwise be thrown away.
The result of this unique method of operation is simple: nutritious meals consisting of rescued food distributed to hungry residents of Tel Aviv at a cost of 1 Shekel per meal (approximately $0.30).
About Us
Pesia’s Kitchen was founded in 2011 by the grandchildren of Safta (Grandma) Pesia who fed the poor in her hometown of Volozhyn, Poland. While Pesia did not have much, she knew that access to nutritious food is a basic human right and that nobody should go hungry.
Food Recipients & Supported Communities
We are able to directly and swiftly respond to the call of various organizations and individuals suffering from food insecurity who reside and work mainly in the poorest communities of South Tel Aviv and Holon.
Food Donors
Our generous food donors provide us with an average of 1,000 meals a day, five days a week.
Contributing Partners
In Action
Contact Us
Email: pesiaskitchen@gmail.com
To reach us by phone
Shira Ben Ami
972-523655588
Yonatan Ben Ami
972-5232917984
Get In Touch
Where to find us
Sundays to Wednesday before noon you can find us at:
Derech Ben Zvi 40, Tel Aviv
Our Team
Our team is comprised of executives coordinating and executing the complex operations and logistics involved with rescuing and distributing more than half a million meals a year, with the help of a team of dedicated volunteers.
Our Board of Directors
Our board includes compassionate and generous people committed to ensuring that Pesia’s Kitchen reaches its full potential.
Gil Blutrich Founder & CEO
Prof. Yuval Elbashan, Adv. Dean, Ono Academic College, Faculty of Law
Dr. Ronit Sharon Psychotherapist, Social worker
Dr Paula Rackoff Rheumatologist Specialist
Nicole Fleischer Digital Healthcare executive
Yossi Alfi Storyteller, Artistic director
Shai Ben-Ami Commerical Real Estate Broker
Avichai Bakst Enterprise | Google Maps
Ruti Lalkin Civil rights advocate, “SHIL” governmental agency
Guy Baram CEO, Baram Original Advertising
Ben Canet Investment Manager
Dr Ari Raphael Oncology Specialist
Anna Scali Linguist, Social Activist, Advocate (ret.)
Honorary Board Members
Daniel Shapiro Ambassador of the United States of America to the State of Israel (ret.)
Julie Fisher Educator, Community Activist
Ophir Pines-Paz Tel-Aviv University, Former MK & Minister of Interior
Advisory Board
Erez Lalkin, Adv. Lalkin, Weiss, Gutman, Law Offices
Tamar Yaron Founder of “Jump Cut” School for film editing
Dr. Raanan Kop, CPA, LL.B BDSK Accountants, Chairman of the Jerusalem Association of Accountants
Ruth Berdah-Canet Award-winning documentary filmmaker
Dr. Stuart Fleischer Educator -specializes in Citizen Science Research Projects and Community Support Science Educator
Donate to Pesia’s Kitchen
Your contribution can really make a difference.
Pesia’s kitchen has ambitious plans to create an even greater impact across Israel by saving 20 million meals a year. In order to make these plans a reality, a gradual expansion of food, equipment, transportation and staff donors will be required to service the new food donors as well as the supported communities. With your donation, Pesia’s Kitchen will reach its goal of saving and providing 20 million meals by 2025.
Using PayBox is free!
Donate through Paybox, join us in Pesia’s Kitchen:
Or you can donate via direct bank transfer:
| Bank Mizrachi-Tefahot | |
| Branch Number: | 455 |
| Account Number: | 262503 |
| Address: | 50 Weitzman Street Givatayim, Israel |
| Swift: | MIZBILIT |
| IBAN: | 920204550000000262503 |
| Account name: | “Pesia’s Kitchen” |
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