Fishers, N.Y. – New York apple growers are helping to ensure that 2,500 local families facing hunger have apples to make charoset for Passover Seder this year.
The New York Apple Association, Inc. (NYAA) is donating more than 3,000 pounds of apples to Masbia, the New York-based nonprofit kosher soup kitchen and food pantry. New York Apple Sales, Inc., headquartered in Castleton, is donating another 3,000+ pounds of New York state apples. Masbia staff and volunteers will parcel the apples with other charoset ingredients into take-home kits for 2,500 client families.
Masbia announced today at a press conference at Manhattan’s Lincoln Square Synagogue that it plans to distribute 180,000 meals with a retail value of over $600,000 for this Passover, Masbia’s largest food distribution since its founding in 2005.
Charoset is a traditional food served during Seder, the evening ritual that observes the beginning of Passover. Charoset is a paste made of sweetened fruits, nuts and spices. Symbolically, it represents the mud that the ancient Israelites used to make bricks while enslaved in Egypt.
This is the second year that NYAA has supported Masbia’s Charoset drive. Many of last year’s recipients were still suffering after Hurricane Sandy, NYAA’s Allen noted.
“New York’s apple growers are honored to be included in so many local families’ sacred Passover celebrations,” said NYAA President Jim Allen. “We are very thankful for the fantastic crop we harvested last fall, so we are glad to support our community this way.”
“Supporting Masbia’s Charoset drive is a natural fit for us. We don't just work here, we live here too, and service to our community is an integral part of who we are as a company,” said New York Apple Sales Inc. President Kaari Stannard. “We heard such great things about Masbia from colleagues who helped out last year, that was all the prompting we needed.”
“Fresh apples and nuts might sound like basic food to many of us, but for people on a tight budget these items are considered a luxury,” said Masbia Executive Director Alexander Rapaport. “With this donation to our Charoset Drive, a mother will be able to nourish her child with fresh fruit and a protein-filled snack through the eight days of Passover.”
For more information about NYAA, visit www.nyapplecountry.com. To learn about New York Apple Sales, Inc., visit www.newyorkapplesales.com. For more information about Masbia and its Charoset Drive, visit www.masbia.org/charoset.
About New York Apple Association, Inc.
A nonprofit agricultural trade association based in Fishers, N.Y., NYAA represents the state’s commercial apple growers. The association supports profitable growing and marketing of New York apples through increasing demand for apples and apple products, representing the industry at state and federal levels, and serving as the primary information source on New York apple-related matters. For more information, visit www.nyapplecountry.com.
About Masbia
Masbia is a nonprofit soup kitchen network and food pantry, providing hot, nutritious meals daily for hundreds of New Yorkers in desperate need of food, and every week handing out hundreds of weekend take-home packages of groceries. Founded in 2005, Masbia currently operates three sites throughout Brooklyn and Queens. For more information, visit www.masbia.org.
Source: New York Apple Association, Inc.
