Chaptzem Blog!      

Raffi = Rephael Chaim ben Chana. Please be mispallel Lerefua Shelaima.

 

Rafi Hazan has serviced the community with Bnei Rephael in flatbush for over 5 years and he always delivers his yellow truck to boro park to hand out free food before the holiday , he was all over the news and the papers, may hashem send him a refuah shelama

 

No one wants to see anyone going hungry. I cannot understand how it can occur in NYC with all the city and fedral sponsored social programs like food stamps etc.

Maybe its just too many people having exceedingly large families to feed?

A little birth control goes a long way.

 

To "A little birth control goes a long way.":

Start your own religion!

Our religion teaches speech control, not birth control! You've failed on both accounts.

May you never need food handouts.

 

Chazal tell us we cannot rely on a miracle. If we have many children, live in the most expensive cities in the world (like New York) and don't train for a good parnassah, aren't we relying on a miracle. It should be HaShem's ratzon that the amount of tzedakah available is enough to meet everyone's needs, but we have to do our histadlus, too.

 

To: aren't we relying on a miracle(BTW, I'm a person from an advanced education!!!!oriented family):

Look around buddy! Those who now are out of work, in these harsh financial times, are predominantly those educated people who didn't!!!!! plan on relying on miracles!

There are many more foreclosed homes in Flatbush than in BP and Willy. The owners are predomimantly college educated.

Explain that!

 

The clients of the Chesed store consist of the elderly, families with few children, families with lots' of children, frum, not frum, Ashkenaz,Sefard, American,Israeli, Bnei Torah, non Bnei Torah,college educated, and not college educated and so on. In short Kol Dichphin, Yetzi V'Yeaichol - All who are Hungry Let them come and eat. Even those who are not actually "hungry" but are having a hard time making ends meet are also welcome to subsidize their houshold budget by getting some free groceries,or getting some treats to give their kids and make their lives a little sweeter. The intention of the Chesed store is to increase Chesed - Kindness in this world, in the great tradition of Avrahma Avinu - Abraham our patriarch. Raffi has not only sunk his own money, and sweat equity into this Mitzva endeavor, but he has also incurred tens of thousands of dollars in debt to keep it running. I appeal to the Tzibbur and in particular to Askanim and people of means to step up and help take over this Chesed burden from Raffi who is facing a daunting health crisis. Tizku Lemitzvos.

 

Ma Nishtana - Why the chesed store is unique and deserves our support - gives out free kosher food and groceries by
combining the resources of:
Food Bank for New York City
City Harvest
Feed The Children
Feeding America - formerly Americas Second Harvest
Met Council
United Way
New York State Hunger prevention and Nutrition Assistance Program Also known as HPNAP
Wholesalers,manufacturers, and retailers.
Has two 24 foot trucks for picking up donated merchandise on short notice including refrigerated and frozen.
Has three walk in refrigerators and one walk in freezer for storing perishables.
Has a warehouse for storing trailer loads.
No other Food Pantry program in New York City combines all these resources or gives out as much food and especially fresh produce to their clients. No other Food Pantry programs in New York City with the exception of Tomche Shabbos,Oneg Shabbos, and Aishel Shabbat, provide food to clients on a weekly basis -All other programs only allow once a month.
Part of the Kavanah in this program was to create a supplement to Tomche Shabbos style programs which are focused on Shabbos. The idea was to try and help people out the other 6 days of the week as well.

 

Bnai Rephael not only helps out individuals but also helps out many mosdos with free food.

 

I am a client at the chesed store i shop once a week an the food i get really help me and my kids out on the income iam living on can't buy me enough food to last so i need the food pantry.The food is good god bless the raphael for all his work

 

"Orthodox Jews Against Hunger" ????

Which group are they opposed to?

Which group is a proponent on hunger?

How bizarre that anyone needs to speak out against hunger.

 

They are proably against me. I am in favor of hunger. Research on rodents indicates that caloric restriction can increase lifespan by up to 40%. Scientists believe the same would apply to people.

 

KEEP UP YOUR GOOD WORK RAFI.

 

people are leaving crazy comments going off the subject all together.The point is that there exists an organization that helps out there.they don't ask your life story. they understand that if you are showing up you need the food.rafi is a tzadik. he understands that food is sustinance without it you cant live,and every week you need it.why does he have to keep up this project on his own?

 

there is no doubt that the chesed store is doing tremendous volume. I live in the area and I see the multitude of poeple waiting to get in. I also see trucks of food coming every few minutes. How can we close our eyes on this project?

 

why don't all the shuls in the community ban together to help on a monthy basis?

 

The community as a whole must undertake to make sure that are brothers have food.Open your eyes.think of your neighbors. Did anyone recently loose thier job. How are they putting food on thier table?Rafi does think of his jewish brothers all kinds litvish, yeshivish, modern, young Isreal,russian,syrian,american,iranian.....he does not discriminate.Why does a man with terminal cancer have to spend 14 hours a day working on improving the store.Have rachmanis. Give of your time, your money, your leftovers.He needs our help.

 

help the chesed store.Its the least you can do.

 

wow who is this guy rafi? look at all the comments.It seems that everyone respects him. I must find out more about this organization.Thanks chaptzem for bringing this organization to light.

 

Baruch Hashem an organization like this exists.

 

I am a customer of the store and everyweek I walk out with a load of food well worth at least $100 I don't konw what I would do without the chesed store.

 

I have to tell you as the host of this hour, the average person doen not understand the magnitude of this mitzva.

There are many Jews that used to be well off that suddenly find themselves in dire straights. If you didn't hear the show, I will email you an mp3 of the entire hour if you request it.

Don't just comment on it. Do something to help. Go to

http://www.lower-utility-costs.com/the-chesed-store.html

and learn what you can do to help.

Do you want an mp3 of the show?

Contact me at moshehandler@gmail.com and I will send you one.

 

there are many worthy organizations out there, but when you think what this org. is doing for a persons well being you must contribute to it in any way possible.of coarse you can donate toys for kids, or fund ambulette drives to the hospital but think of what it means to give someone food who just doesnt have the money after thier monthly expenses rent, electric,heat....they call it food for survival for a reason.

 

Learn more about The Chesed Store at
www.flatbushchesedstore.org

 

Can someone tell me where I can get help to send my kids to camp. I don't have the money this year and the camps do not give scholarships.

 

This is a real problem. The local organizations don't help too much. COJO makes you bring all kinds of documentation and then they contribute a big 100 dollars towards camp. Agudah claims that they offer scholarships if you send to their camp. It's always full so there's no room for the kids who really need it. The local day camps give no breaks except to those who attended the yeshiva which it is affiliated with (eventhough some of these people can well afford the full price). Mogen Av and Sternberg offer considerable discounts, so does Dora Golding because they are Federation camps. Even so, if you need to pay 1500 for half a summer it's too much for many families. It's not a luxury to go to camp, it's a necessity. The streets offer too much poison. Mothers need to be a work. This is the current bleak picture. Along with the cancer, infertility, Kiruv organizations, I'm waiting for one to provide funds for camp for struggling families.

 

Raffi has borrowed at least $75,000to keep this Chesed project running. The money has gone to pay for drivers, trucks,insurance, rent,and workers to manage the store.Raffi borrowed money because he was no longer able to support the endeavor from his business due to his declining health. Please help keep this project alive and allow it to grow and prosper for the sake of the poor in our midst. There are no big salaries here. All the workers make near minimum wage.

 

I used to work for Rafi and know him well. Despite the cancer he works and makes this thing run despite everything. He works to the point of collapse with no support. He is a rare Jew.