Tamara Ashman
Hillel Torah Tzedaka Circle in Action with Solu
Last week, Solu led thoughtful and energetic students from Hillel Torah took their classroom learning into the real world and straight to the aisles of Sam’s Club.
These students worked together to purchase and donate 40 cases of toilet paper (a highly requested item and not covered by SNAP benefits) to the Niles Township Food Pantry, helping to meet one of the pantry’s most consistent and basic needs.
The shopping trip was not just a chesed mission, it was a culmination of a deep learning intensive facilitated by Solu. In their Tzedaka Circle program last May, the students explored halachot of tzedaka in their classroom at Hillel Torah, deciding how to distribute funds based on long conversation and Torah values.
With seed funding from Solu and a generous contribution from the Jewish United Fund (JUF), the students had the ability to make impactful donations to both Jewish and non-Jewish groups and experience firsthand the power of giving.
The staff at Niles Township Food Pantry warmly welcomed the students and expressed deep appreciation for the massive toilet paper donation, which will go directly to individuals and families in our own local community who are facing economic hardship.
After the delivery, the students were given a behind-the-scenes tour of the pantry's operations, including their innovative systems for food distribution. They even got their hands in the soil, harvesting vegetables from the on-site community garden, which supplies fresh produce to pantry clients.
