Brooklyn, NY – June 7, 2016 — Renowned for their kosher soup kitchens that have served millions of meals to the hungry and the needy, Masbia will be reopening in Boro Park, this time with a centrally located facility that will enhance its services in many ways.
Situated just one block from the Shomrei Shabbos 24 hour synagogue at 5402 New Utrecht Avenue, the new Masbia facility will continue to fulfill the mission begun by Alexander Rapaport and Mordechai Mandelbaum in 2005, serving nutritious, filling meals with the utmost dignity. Catering largely but not exclusively to the area’s significant Chasidic population, the soup kitchen will be open late hours to accommodate the lifestyle of area residents.
“We have found that in the Chassidic community in general and in Boro Park in particular that people struggle with the decision of bringing their family for a meal, often not bringing themselves to it until the desperation peaks, which is usually at bedtime for their kids,” said Alexander Rapaport, executive director of Masbia. “Unlike our site on Queens Boulevard, where we serve many senior citizens, we have found that we need to have an early dinner since our clients want to get home before dark, but in Boro Park it is exactly the opposite, with many people going back and forth on whether or not they should accept help or not.”
In its new spacious Boro Park facility, Masbia will offer client choice raw groceries to take home, allowing clients to choose the foods that most appeal to them from a huge display area set up in a dedicated portion of the soup kitchen.
“We serve full meals in grocery form,” explained Rapaport. “There are those who would rather cook the food themselves and some who prefer to be eating in their own kitchens. We prepare groceries so that every member of the family will have food for three meals for three days. Our goal is no matter how people choose to have their meals, that we make it a pleasant and easy experience.”
Rapaport said that the Boro Park Masbia branch will be open for Shabbos and holiday meals and will have the ability to seat 40 clients at any one time.
Masbia needs help to outfit the new facility and is reaching out to the public for help in financing this new endeavor in a variety of ways. Dedication opportunities are available in all amounts, giving generous souls the ability to sponsor one of Masbia’s ten tables, the naming rights for the soup kitchen and even a beautification project to enhance the dining experience for clients and provide them with a greater sense of dignity.
Contributions can be made via an innovative online dedication chart on Masbia’s website, through conventional installments or by starting crowdfunding campaigns, the latest trend in charitable fundraisers.
“If someone knew that their Zaidy was renowned for always inviting people to dine with him, what greater way could there be to honor his memory than by starting a crowdfunding campaign, allowing so many other family members and acquaintances to join in and make a contribution in his honor to secure a coveted dedication option in his honor?” noted Rapaport. “Those small donations add up quickly and could make a huge difference in the lives of the needy.”
Heavy duty equipment, light fixtures, refrigeration system, and more are pending delivery depending on our ability to raise the funds to pay for them. In order to receive those deliveries, we urgently need the cash flow to make the renovations complete.
Rapaport is confident that the public will step forward and help get the ball rolling so that Masbia can once again open its doors in Boro Park, the site of its very first soup kitchen of its current network of three.
“We are ready to go,” said Rapaport. “We just need the funding.”
To find out more about Masbia or to make a donation visit them online at www.masbiaboropark.org/capacitycampaign
