(Health & Fitness A Forum on Stem Cell Research Wednesday, April 21, 2010 • 7 p.m. Jewish Community Center - West Bloomfield • Please join us for this community-wide' educational forum presenting the political, scientific, legislative, economic and ethical viewpoints surrounding this controversial issue, Presenters: Andy Meisner (Moderator) Oakland County Treasurer Ellen Cogen Lipton State Representative, 27th District Ed Goldman JD and ethics; adjunct assistant professor, University of Michigan Department of Health Management and Policy Danny Heumann Founding board member, Michigan Citi- zens for Stem Cell Research and Cures Dr. Jack Parent Associate professor of neurology, University of Michigan Medical School Rabbi Ylsrael Pinson Director, Daniel B. Sobel Friendship House Advance tickets: $10/$18 for forum and dessert reception to order your tickets today! Sponsored by: J13 11 JEWISH PARENTS INSTITUTE It.,Ew-par-tc1 ....See • Amp. biltiog 3 PR 1141 THE CENTER Khanna Nthon WSW 0C3...C. PC ra mance Jewish Parents Institute is a non-profit Sunday school which gives children a rich understanding of their Jewish identity through a creative hands-on approach to Jewish education. Free tuition is available. Visit www.jpisundayschool.org for details. Jewish Community Center of Metropolitan Detroit D. Dan & Betty Kahn Building Eugene & Marcia Applebaum Jewish Community Campus 6600 W. Maple Road • West Bloomfield, MI 48322 www.jccdet.org 26 April 15 • 2010 Feeding Need from page 25 Northville, Plymouth, Commerce Township and Union Lake. Stocking up on local goods is not a new concept for the company, but in the current eco- nomic climate, the practice of showcas- ing locally made, grown and produced food items, and nurturing small busi- nesses, has taken on new meaning and a new sense of urgency. "With so many jobs lost and the economy spiraling, I wanted to com- municate to shoppers that by selling Michigan products, we're encourag- ing the employment of thousands of our neighbors',' CEO Jim Hiller said. "Obviously, we cannot buy all of our foods locally, but anything we can do to support other Michigan businesses makes a difference." Home Grown In some cases, Hiller's has been an integral part of nurturing homegrown businesses, like Polly's Pastries. The company started a few years ago after Polly Levey-Carpenter, 51, of West Bloomfield, dropped into her neigh- borhood Hiller's store with some of her homemade mandel bread. Hiller's agreed to sell it and after several years of watching her baked goods fly off the shelves, they now carry Polly's products exclusively. "I didn't even have any packaging, I had nothing when I started:' Carpenter said. "They opened the doors for me. How would you get an opportunity like this unless somebody believed in you?" Polly's products have become so popular, she has hired three employees just to keep up with the demand for her rugelach, mandel bread and loaf cakes. She also has a new line of Jewish cook- ing in the prepared foods section. All of it is made on-site in Hiller's kitchens. As if shoppers needed more of an incentive to buy local, Hiller's also has programs in place to sweeten the deal. Their "Hometown First Project" gives customers who spend at least $100 during one shopping trip sizeable discounts at select area businesses. As part of their "Good Deeds in the Making" promotion, 100 percent of the proceeds from a pre-determined prepared dish go to a select charity group each month. The company gives approximately $2 million a year in charitable donations. "We understand our responsibil- ity to the state; that's why we nurture small businesses:' Justin Hiller said. "We have a long tradition with the local cottage industries. We under- stand we are responsible for our own salvation! El Getting A Product Sold At Hiller's If you own a restaurant or make a local product you'd like to see sold at Hiller's stores, you can reach the company at: www.hillers.com ; click on "contact us" to send a message. Or ask to speak to a manager at any of the seven Hiller's locations. Yossi from page 25 General admission at the door: $15 for forum only 248.4 FOOD sauce will soon be sold at Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and other locations. "It all started two-and-a-half years ago when Jim Hiller came into the restaurant," Benjamin explained. "He said if you would ever like to sell your food packaged, give me a call." Recently, Yossi decided to take Hiller up on that offer. He changed his restaurant hours and is now serving lunch Monday through Friday (11a. m.-4 p.m.) and dinner Saturdays (5-9 p.m.) so he can spend the rest of his time preparing and packaging food for supermarket shoppers. "All of our items are strictly vege- tarian. They're fresh, no preservatives added and they're simply delicious:' Yossi says. "Right now, because of the slow economy, people are spending less money going to restaurants. But, they have to go to the supermarket and they have to eat. So instead of waiting for them, I'm bringing the food to the supermarkets:' His products are so popular, Yossi says he'll soon need a larger kitchen to keep up with the demand. His goal is to have his fresh Israeli food line distributed in markets across the country. That's a pretty ambitious undertaking for someone who first arrived in Metro Detroit in 2001, and opened his restaurant just six years ago. He and his wife, Lizette, are also busy raising three sons, Dean, 14, Jeremy, 11, and Alon, 3. "Sales are good and are grow- ing," Yossi said but declined to give specifics. "We're planning to move to a commercial kitchen and I have a partner. I would say this is the beginning. I'm not there yet, but I'm on my way!" El