Our Staff Visits New Warehouse in Israel
By Dave Olsson
Can The Joshua Fund double the number of food distribution centers we open and support in 2011? Can we dramatically expand the number of Jews and Arabs we are caring for? And can we improve the quality of our service, and increase warehouse efficiency?
In August, I had the opportunity to travel with two of my colleagues to Israel to visit The Joshua Fund warehouse, see operations on the ground, and consider such questions. The last time I had been to the warehouse was in November 2009 when TJF had first rented the facility and we had prayed and dedicated the building. It was completely empty then, and we had no staff to run it. Not anymore.
Today, by God’s grace, the place is brimming with huge palettes of flour, beans, corn, pickles, tuna, cooking oil, paper towels, diapers, and other supplies. The Lord has provided a delivery truck, fork lift, and fully outfitted offices. And, of course, we have already expanded operations from supplying one food distribution center we call a “storefront” every month to supplying seven such storefronts. Along with Lance Emma (our Chief Operating Officer), and John Moser (our Director of Humanitarian Relief ), we visited with our full time warehouse manager and his new part time assistant. We evaluated warehouse operations, spent time planning for 2011, and visited two storefronts to see how things were going firsthand.
One of the things that really struck me while I was there was how the logistics of delivering food, cooking supplies, and other goods involves a complex combination of organizing orders, product weight, truck capacity, and, in some cases, navigating narrow streets. Once delivered to the storefronts, volunteers sort and bag the products. Bags of food are then either delivered directly to recipients in their apartments, or those who receive the food will come to the storefront to pick up the bagged food. The critical need is to continue making the process as personal and dignified as possible so that the needy Israelis we serve truly feel cared for and honored. This is our heart.
During our trip, we also gathered storefront managers and volunteers together for several hours to introduce them to each other and give them an opportunity to share what the Lord has been doing through food distribution. Many of them expressed how deeply appreciative they are of the relationships The Joshua Fund is forging with Jews and Christians in the Land.
They also shared incredible stories of how people receiving aid are so desperate that sometimes they push to get in the door of the storefront; that we are reaching prostitutes, members of the military (IDF), Holocaust survivors, and Sudanese and Ethiopian immigrants with aid; how some of the storefront staff and volunteers have been targets of violence and persecution; and how some of the volunteers themselves were once on the streets and desperate for help, but after experiencing the grace of God, they now serve others in the same condition.
I was greatly encouraged after meeting these joyful, courageous, and dedicated men and women. It wouldn’t be possible without your prayers and donations, so thank you so much. Please keep praying for us as we seek to expand our capacity and improve our service.
