In the difficult and incomprehensible war situation in which the State of Israel has been waging since last Saturday, alongside tens of thousands of good citizens who leave everything and enlist for soldiers and civilians, there are also quite a few celebrities who wish to contribute in any way during the difficult hours that the citizens of the country are going through.
One person who hasn't found rest since the fighting began is TV host Corinne Gideon, who, together with her husband Hili, decided to turn their successful deli, Sorotzkin, a Jewish deli, which normally makes deliveries throughout the country, into a center for collecting donations, not just food.
Since the weekend, the two have been operating it at all levels: from food delivery, to fundraising and connecting donors with those in need, to helping find temporary housing and accommodations. "It started naturally, like everyone else," Gideon told us Monday morning in a conversation we had with her about the motivation for establishing the "war room" at the deli. "After the initial shock, we realized that we had to come to our senses – and this is the little, the drop in the ocean, that we can help," she added.
How did it all begin?
"We started by donating all the food we had left from the deli. It continued in our infrastructure – we have our factory in Petah Tikva with refrigerators where food can be stored, our drivers and dozens of other people who volunteered."
On Sunday, Gideon shared with her 365,<> followers what was happening on her Instagram Story: "We set up a war room in the deli," she wrote, adding: "Anyone interested in donating food, equipment, toiletries and anyone who wants to volunteer to drive things, we put everything together."
Corinne Gideon's post, photo: from the Instagram page
Gideon went on to update on the response, that there was "an insane number of inquiries... This is the first time since yesterday that I have a bit of a sense of hope," she said, adding: "There is nothing about our people."
Today she says: "At first I published a number of one of our employees and it was so exciting to see how it grew. So many people want to donate – whether it's transporting equipment and food, and now we've set up a separate group for apartments. At the factory, donations are collected and sent all the time without stopping."
food donations,
Who donates?
"There are a lot of donors abroad as well – Israelis and Jews. These are donors with significant sums who are just looking to donate and need the liaison. Yesterday, I found myself dealing with the connection between a donor of ceramic vests and the spouse of a soldier in an elite unit where there is a shortage of vests. I never thought I'd find myself dealing with something like this."
Is there a particular case that you remember in particular?
"We also reached out to single mothers. A volunteer of ours brought Materna to a besieged mother who did not have Materna for her baby," she said, adding excitedly: "Yesterday I had a sense of some hope and meaning. The only thing that helps us is knowing that we are helping a little. It's distracting. Allows for some escape. I sit at home and see on the factory's cameras the crazy response – people come there all day long with donations. We go to the bases, distribute them to the soldiers. Everyone does everything voluntarily. For everyone, it's all about a sense of mission. Everyone is depressed and that's the only thing that gives us some meaning. We're at it all day."
Phones for inquiries in the post, photo: from the Instagram page
Gideon also updated on the details for taking part in the blessed project: "All the details for donations and help are kept in my story highlights. You can donate food baskets through us. We don't earn a dime on it - we're just the middlemen. We have the infrastructure and the drivers. We will transfer all donations and food baskets. We are only the connecting factor," she asked to clarify, concluding: "There is nothing about our people. It's a small bright spot and it's the least we can do. I'm heartbroken and let's hope it's quiet here."
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