Novartis
MS Education Link
Hear
Mark Silverman, DO
discuss
information about
multiple sclerosis (MS)
and a prescription
treatment option.
September 25, 2012 6:30pm
Ginopolis Restaurant
27815 Middlebelt
Farmington Hills, MI 48334
Please RSVP by September 24, 2012
by calling 800-973-0362.
Light food and beverages served.
N OVA RT S
Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation
© 2011 Novartis
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18
September 6 • 2012
Warehouse manager David Jaffee loads food into a client's car.
To maintain dignity and anonymity,
Yad Erza offers clients a drive-thru.
Keri Guten Cohen
Story Development Editor
I is certainly not Taco Bell, but the
kosher food pantry Yad Ezra in
Berkley now has a drive-thru. The
idea is not to get food out faster to cli-
ents, but to help ensure more,privacy
for those who pick up monthly grocer-
ies and staples.
Rather than a window, Yad Ezra's
drive-thru has a door with a window.
When a car drives up on the ware-
house side of the building, it rolls over
a hose that triggers a bell inside — just
like getting full-service gas at a station.
Warehouse manager David Jaffee hears
the bell, checks the client's identifica-
tion, and then places a standardized,
family-sized box of food inside the car
or trunk without the client ever having
to get out.
This method has been operational
since mid-July, but Yad Ezra hopes
more will use it as the word gets out.
"Because we are such a tightknit
community, everyone knows every-
one," says Lea Luger, Yad Ezra execu-
tive director. "This anonymity helps
people who don't want to be recog-
nized by volunteers. This is another
way to show clients respect and dig-
nity, and to be as discreet as possible.
"There are people who are too
embarrassed to come in for assistance;
and people who are former donors.
They all have to fill out the same appli-
cation form as others, but they don't
have to come into the building."
The service, which also will be
helpful in the winter and for older
or impaired clients who still drive,
is available only from 4-5:30 p.m. on
Wednesdays. At that time, only staff
members are in the building.
"I looked at services for a family
member," says Rachel Lutz, owner of
the Peacock Room clothing store in
Detroit. "I feel the drive-thru protects
the dignity of clients. The irony is that
some looked at the idea and thought
it would add to the number of people
who would apply. I think that's great;
there are many who need the services."
Those who come for food on other
days can make selections for their
monthly provisions. The tradeoff for
those using the drive-thru is that their
packages are standardized; the gener-
ous selection of healthy foods is made
for them. Most is produce, dairy and
proteins. Because Yad Ezra is a supple-
mental food pantry, the supplies last
an average of 10 days to two weeks.
"We are serving 5 percent more
from last year at this time — 1,400
families a month:' Luger says. "At the
end of 2007, we had 1,100 families a
month; and 1,600 families when the
economy tanked. We are not seeing
things getting better."
Traditional ways to access food at
Yad Ezra are to come in and pick it up
personally, to send someone in your
stead or to have Sunday home deliver-
ies by volunteers.
The drive-thru pick-up, which Luger
believes is the only one at a food pan-
try in the country (others may have
drop-off windows for food donations),
evolved through imitation.
A staffer was driving by a Taco Bell
and saw the familiar drive-thru win-
dow and brought the idea in to others.
"I thought we could do it," Luger
says of the system that cost under
$400. "Nonprofits should really look
at for-profit models for strategies. We
don't have to keep reinventing the
wheel."
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