Staten Island Chometz Drive

Silive: Got chometz? Then City Harvest has the answer for you. The non-profit food rescue organization, in conjunction with the Metropolitan Council on Jewish Poverty, will be collecting the non-kosher for Passover products through April 11 -- right in time for Passover, which begins the next evening. The items will then be distributed to food pantries throughout the city, including those on Staten Island, for the non-Jewish community. "The opening words of the Haggadah, the book used to conduct the Passover Seder, says 'all who are hungry, let them come and eat,'" said Rabbi Mayer Mayerfeld, manager of the Kosher Initiative at City Harvest. "The essence of Passover is freedom and part of freedom is being concerned about your fellow man...He also said that bakeries are donating items, such as cakes and cookies, that cannot be sold during the holiday. City Harvest is also running a Kosher for Passover food drive, which began during Purim. Rabbi Mayerfeld said those still interested in donating can arrange to have the items picked up early next week. To arrange a pick-up for either Passover or chometz items call City Harvest at 917-351-8700 or 917-351-8731. You can also visit the Web site at www.cityharvest.org . Last year, the agency distributed 227,000 pounds of food to 35 kosher agencies. This year, officials hope to exceed that amount. America's Second Harvest, a nation-wide network of food banks, is also assisting with the collection, providing trailers full of food.