Feeding Relief

Meet Three Families (and their babies!) who found comfort, one bottle at a time

by KR

0 Comments | Thursday, October 30, 2025 under Feed-a-Baby

I once read that baby formula is among the most commonly shoplifted items in supermarkets. Sadly, it’s not that surprising. It’s a necessity, it’s in high demand, and it’s expensive.

For Israeli families who are struggling for one reason or another and can’t afford the cost (which can run about 150 NIS a week), the pressure is immeasurable - and the situation is, understandably, a nightmare. 
“When the can began to empty, I’d start to panic. You can skip a meal yourself, but you can’t tell a baby there’s nothing to eat” is how one mother in her application to our Feed a Baby program described her situation.
 

How B’ezri’s Feed a Baby Program Brings Relief

B’ezri knows how critical of a need baby formula is, and our program aims to help as many families as possible. Currently, we are feeding one thousand babies every month, ensuring they’re getting the nutrients necessary to grow up healthy, and reduce the risk of terrible side effects related to malnutrition like digestive problems, bone and muscle issues, weakened immune systems, even impaired brain development. The program provides families with a two month supply of formula, six times a year. Gabbei tzedaka we work with throughout Israel distribute the formula to needy families on our roseter, located in their communities.
 

The Families Behind the Numbers

I wrote above about families “who are struggling for one reason or another”. And with 1,000 families being assisted each month, those reasons vary - but every story shares the same thread: worry replaced with deep relief when help finally arrives. Examples include:

Nadav L. who is self-employed, trying to get his business off the ground. His wife, Aviya, worked in a supermarket until the middle of her first pregnancy, which was classified as high risk. When she was placed on bed rest, she had to leave her job and the loss of income hit the
young couple hard.

After their son Yosef was born, Aviya became pregnant again, and once more, she was confined to bed rest -this time for her entire pregnancy. Without her salary, their finances quickly unraveled. Yosef was a hungry baby, going through cans of formula faster than they could afford to replace them. Aviya began to worry constantly: how would they keep Yosef fed, and how would they feed their next baby when the time came? Feed a Baby was instrumental for the L.’s:
“It took away the panic,” Aviya said. “I could finally focus on caring for my children instead of counting how many bottles were left.”

Rachel M. teaches in a local school, and her husband, Moshe, was laid off during the war, unable to find employment despite much time and effort put into his job search. They’ve always worked hard to support their growing family, but when Moshe developed severe dental problems that required expensive treatments - right around the birth of their youngest son - their savings disappeared. Even daily essentials became a struggle. That included formula which was suddenly out of reach. 
“The formula B’ezri provided eased the pressure,” Rachel shared. “We were struggling with so much but I knew at least my baby would have the nutrition he needed.”

Shlomo and Tehila, baalei tshuva, live with their three children in Beit Shemesh. For years, Tehila’s epilepsy made holding down a steady job impossible. Recently, medication began to help but the moment she mentioned her condition, to potential employers, they lost interest. The family tried to manage on Shlomo’s modest stipend, but when their baby was born, the cost of formula only added to the tremendous stress they were under. The couple has no family in the picture, no one who could help.
“The containers of formula were more than food,” Tehila said. “It meant someone was there for us, someone cared.”
 

The Need Continues - and So Must Our Support

If these are the reactions of three families, you can imagine how impactful Feed a Baby is for 997 others. If only the need stopped with them! Countless families are in similar situations - this economy is making it harder than ever for them to pay for such an expensive but vital necessity.

That's where you come in. By donating to Feed a Baby together we can continue to feed the 1,000 babies who rely on us, and maybe even add
a few more.

DONATE NOW