Maot Chitim at Rosh Hashanah

Two different opportunities are available this year for helping provide food and other holiday necessities to Jewish families in need in time for Rosh Hashanah.

• Packing Boxes
  Sunday, September 15, 11:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m.
  Warehouse located at 6211 Monroe Court in Morton Grove
  Join Hakafa members and others in the Chicago area's Jewish community in packing boxes of food and other holiday necessities that will be delivered to Jewish families in need in time for Rosh Hashanah. If you are interested in packing boxes for Maot Chitim with Hakafa, please contact Hakafa member, Carol Anne Been.
  
  Please observe the following restrictions on age & dress code for box packing on September 15:
  * Minimum age in the warehouse is 12 years old. No exceptions are allowed; age restrictions are enforced for safety and insurance reasons around moving machinery (conveyors, pallet movers, etc.)
  *Closed shoes are required. NO open-toed shoes allowed, e.g. sandals, flip-flops or clogs. 
  * Dress in layers. The warehouse is not temperature controlled, and can range from quite cool to quite warm, depending on outside temperature. Dress for the coolest, and plan to shed clothing in layers so you are comfortable.

• Delivering Boxes
  Sunday, September 22, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
  Warehouse located at 6211 Monroe Court in Morton Grove
  Join Hakafa members and others in the Chicago area's Jewish community in delivering boxes of food and other holiday necessities to Jewish families in need in time for Rosh Hashanah. To sign up to make deliveries, go to: https://calendly.com/jstoliar/driver-for-maot-chitim-rh19delivery?month=2019-09.
   

Maot Chitim refers to the custom of gathering wheat to provide the poor with the makings of matzo for Passover. Nearly a century ago, Rabbis set up card tables in front of their synagogues and distributed a few dollars to the poor for holy day meals.

Today, Maot Chitim of Greater Chicago has evolved into a year-round volunteer effort searching for the best and most reasonably priced Kosher products, organizing an army of volunteers, setting up a warehouse, locating recipients through the ARK and other social service agencies, packing the products, coordinating an orderly delivery system, delivering the packages and finally closing up and beginning the plans for the next holiday.