Temple Beth Israel continues food drives

On recent Fridays, half of the Temple Beth Israel parking lot is devoted to collecting as much food and home items as possible in 30 minutes to benefit Second Chance, Last Opportunity, a Newtown nonprofit that offers food and life skills classes. 

The most recent drive was Feb. 5, when a team gathered carloads of donations. The temple has been hosting food drives since last fall, and while it started as only temple members, it’s grown. 

“I’m starting to see people I don’t recognize,” volunteer Karen Gary said.

The temple group hosts food drives every six weeks, Gary said, and they fill up at least two cars and sometimes more every time, mostly with nonperishable food. Other temple members make lunches every week, too, and money will get dropped off at the temple. 

“Somebody called the temple and gave a check, so we’re getting more than just food,” Gary said. 

The focus on SCLO comes from temple member Arlene Skversky, who began a donation pool for the organization in April 2020 after she learned agency more than tripled its demand for food. An email blast to friends later, the donation train was running. It ran strong amongst Longboat Key residents, but fell off in the summer as residents began going north again. Skversky and other volunteers brainstormed ways to keep it going. 

“Some businesses started donating and then we came up with the ideas to reach out to religious organizations, and a lot of them have mission statements that allow them to donate,” Skversky said. “Temple Emanu-el, in Sarasota, they donated twice and I went to Temple Beth Israel and they've been donating. (St. Armands Key Lutheran Church) … has donated money.”

Since the temple donated the first time, the social action committee resolved to hold the food drives every six weeks. It’s hosted in the 30 minutes that temple members can also come pick up Shabbat meals in the adjoining parking lot, so though the timespan is tight, the donations roll in reliably.