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Yahoo
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mayim Bialik, Haim Saban, Uzo Aduba Among Signatories To Letter Condemning Anti-Israel Rhetoric After D.C. Jewish Museum Shooting
A letter from entertainment industry group Creative Community for Peace calling for the rejection of extremist anti-Israel rhetoric and the spread of misinformation has been signed by more than 400 in the Hollywood community. Mayim Bialik, Haim Saban, Billy Ray, Uzo Aduba, Julianna Margulies, Diane Warren and Dean Cain are among the signatories to the letter, which was released Thursday and written after the killing of two Israeli Embassy staffers last week on the steps of the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. More from Deadline Benedict Cumberbatch, Dua Lipa, Riz Ahmed & Annie Lennox Among 300 Signatories Of Letter Calling On UK PM Keir Starmer To Act On Gaza Richard Gere, Susan Sarandon, David Cronenberg & Javier Bardem Join 380 Cinema Figures In Open Letter Condemning Silence Over Gaza – Cannes Billy Ray Returning To 'Hunger Games' Franchise, Will Adapt Prequel 'Sunrise On The Reaping' - CinemaCon 'Hamas, Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their supporters,' reads the letter. The letter also calls out the release of other statements signed by entertainment figures condemning Israel's war on Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying that 'some well-meaning celebrities and public figures have been manipulated by this constant stream of misinformation, which they have also helped to amplify.' 'We call on all our colleagues to reject this extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation so that we can all work toward a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and dignity,' the CCFP letter adds. 'For the past 600 days, the anti-Israel movement has espoused an unrelenting stream of extremist rhetoric to demonize Israel and anyone who supports the country — it's a toxic mix of distortion, bigotry and incitement,' CCFP chairman/co-founder David Renzer and executive director Ari Ingel said today. 'Given the power of social media, it's incumbent on entertainers and public figures, with their ability to influence millions around the world, to use their platforms responsibly. Without a course correction, we will only see more hate, more violence, and more innocent people targeted simply for being Jewish.' Here's their full letter: We, the undersigned, are saying enough! Enough with the lies, and enough with the Iran, and their allies and ideological sympathizers in the West have flooded the world with their hateful lies and antisemitic incitement since October 7 — lies designed to demonize Israel, the Jewish people, and their well-meaning celebrities and public figures have been manipulated by this constant stream of misinformation, which they have also helped to May 21, 2025, we saw that these lies can have deadly consequences when two young people were murdered outside a Jewish Museum in Washington D.C., as the perpetrator chanted 'Free Palestine' — a chant that has now become a call to is horrific — where far too many civilians suffer — which is why even though Hamas launched wars against Israel in 2008, 2012, 2014, 2018, and 2021, the wars were the gruesome Hamas massacre on October 7, 2023, changed the suffering of civilians in Gaza is a strategy of Hamas, with one Hamas official stating that it is 'a small price' to Russia launched its war on Ukraine, it was the women and children that went underground in the metro system for safety while the men fought above contrast, in Gaza — after Hamas launched their genocidal war on Israel — it was their fighters who went underground into the Gaza 'metro,' while leaving women and children above ground to be used as their human is a war Hamas started, and one that they can end by releasing the hostages, by laying down their arms, thereby freeing the Palestinians of Gaza from their tyrannical rule as Hamas refuses to relent on their demand to have all of the land between the river and the sea cleansed of Jews, as they state in their own charter:'The Day of Judgment will not come about until Moslems fight Jews and kill them. Then, the Jews will hide behind rocks and trees, and the rocks and trees will cry out: 'O Moslem, there is a Jew hiding behind me, come and kill him.' (Article 7).The anti-Israel campaign shares this anti-Israel campaign refuses to hold Hamas accountable for the death and destruction caused by their illegal and repeated use of hospitals, mosques, schools, and UN facilities to launch attacks and shield their command anti-Israel campaign refuses to acknowledge that the vast majority of 'journalists' pumping out propaganda in Gaza are, in fact, members or supporters of the terrorist organizations themselves — even joining Hamas on October 7th to help broadcast their massacre inside Israel to the anti-Israel campaign spreads the antisemitic blood libel that the Jewish state – and all the Jews that support Israel – are bloodthirsty, intentionally targeting civilians, and committing 'genocide.'The anti-Israel campaign makes outrageous claims — such as Israel seeking to murder 14,000 babies in a 48-hour period — claims so egregious they should collapse under the weight of its own absurdity. Yet, these claims are amplified by the media, in addition to celebrities who share this disinformation to their millions of followers on social anti-Israel campaign claims that Jews are colonizers, when they are indigenous to the land of Israel and have the right to self-determination in their historical homeland as enshrined by the UN reject all these reject the anti-Israel movement co-opting every social justice cause — outrageously claiming that to stand with the LGBTQIA+ community, or with anti-racist, anti-colonialist, anti-Islamophobic and anti-antisemitic movements, is to stand against is all done to paint Israel — and Jews around the world — as embodying the world's ultimate evils. This is call on all our colleagues to reject this extremist rhetoric and the spread of misinformation so that we can all work toward a future in which all Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in peace and Ingel, Executive Director, Creative Community for PeaceAaron Bay-Schuck, CEO/Co-Chairman Warner RecordsRakefet Abergel, ActorMichael Abrams, Talent Manager, Constellation Media GroupJason Adelman, VP, Brand Innovators LabsOrly Adelson, Former President of ITV Studios, AmericaMarty Adelstein, CEO, Tomorrow StudiosDan Adler, ProducerUzo Aduba, ArtistShir Aharon, Talent ManagerJillian Apfelbaum, Head of Film, Sandbox Entertainment GroupMichael Auerbach, Partner, Jackoway AustenDean Bahat, Attorney, Ziffren Brittenham LLPAndrea Ballas, VP Communications, CBS/ParamountCraig Balsam, CEO, RT IndustriesGary Barber, ExecutiveEve Barlow, WriterJackie Barrie, A&R ExecutiveJonathan Baruch, President, RainRichard Baskind, Partner & Head of Music, Simons Muirhead & BurtonAton Ben-Horin, Executive VP A&R, Warner Music Group/CEO, Plush Bercovici-Artieda, Director/Producer, EQUINOX DREAM PROJECTAdam Berkowitz, Founder and President, Lenore Entertainment GroupMayim Bialik, Actor, Writer, Producer, Sad Clown ProductionsSharon Bialy, Casting Director/Co-Owner, Bialy/Thomas & AssociatesHillary Bibicoff, Transactional Entertainment Attorney, Feig Finkel LLPDavid Bickel, Writer/ProducerAllison Binder, Partner, GGSS&CJoshua P. Binder, Partner, Rothenberg, Mohr, & Binder, LLPNeil Blair, Partner, The Blair PartnershipEvan Bogart, Songwriter & CEO, Seeker MusicSarah Bremner, Partner, Prologue EntertainmentJoanne Bressler, SVP, AttorneyKevin Bright, Producer, Just Bright Buckley, Group President, COO, Propagate ContentBenjamin Budde, CEO, Budde GroupDavid Byrnes, Partner, Ziffren Brittenham LLPDean Cain, ActorEmily Cameron, Manager, Plush ManagementSarah Camlett, AgentCivia Caroline, Industry Impact Consultant, CLiC Impact EntertainmentMarkell Casey, Founder & Manager, Worldwide TracksCliff Chenfeld, Co-Founder, Razor & TieDavid Chesnoff, Partner, Chesnoff and SchinfeldEmmanuelle Chriqui, ActorDanny Cohen, President, Access EntertainmentEmily Cohen, DirectorGabriella Cohen, MusicianLyor Cohen, Global Head of Music, Google and YouTubeTanya Cohen, Partner, Range Media PartnersLeanne Coronel, President, The Coronel GroupRaye Cosbert, Managing Director, Metropolis MusicBen Cosgrove, CEO, Leviathan ProductionsAvi Dahan, Attorney, Boyarski Fritz LLPRobin Davids, Publicity, Sony Pictures EntertainmentDavid Davis, LawyerDoug Davis, Attorney and Founder, The Davis FirmMirelle Davis, Artist Manager, Wind Up Bird LtdRebecca De Mornay, ActressLinda Deal, Social WorkDanielle Del, Partner, D2 ManagementJamie Denbo, Writer/ActorKurt Deutsch, President, Broadway Music GroupAvi Diamond, Director, Film & TV Licensing, Warner Music CanadaMichael Diamond, Talent Manager/Partner, Range Media PartnersRo Diamond, Vice President, SDB PartnersCraig Dorfman, Owner/Manager, Frontline ManagementRachel Douglas, Manager, Range Media PartnersBrian P. Drach, Attorney, Lewis BrisboisDavid Draiman, Frontman of the band DisturbedA.M. Driver, ActressJeremy Drysdale, ScreenwriterLinda Edell Howard, Attorney, Edell Howard Enterprises LLCJessica Elbaum, Producer, Gloria Sanchez ProductionsTalya Elitzer, Co-Founder, Godmode MusicCraig Emanuel, Executive, The Kid From Downunder Engers, Agent, Emma Engers Associates LtdDvora Englefield, Partner and Head of Music Artist Strategy, WMEHannah Epstein, Agent, CAARami 'Kosha Dillz' Even-Esh, Artist/Comic/FilmmakerRon Fair, Record Producer & CEO, Faircraft Farber, Film ComposerEric Feig, Partner, Feig/Finkel, LLPJoel Feigenbaum, Vice President, Warner Music GroupPatti Felker, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLPJacob Fenton, Partner, UTAKen Fermaglich, Partner, UTAMark Feuerstein, ActorBradley Fischer, ProducerErica Forster, COO, PendulumJordan Frazes, Founder, Frazes CreativeJennifer Freed, Artist ManagementHilary Freeman, Journalist and AuthorAdam Friedman, Executive, Creative Artists AgencyAdina Friedman, Manager, Artist HouseDaryl Friedman, Former Chief Advocacy & Industry Relations Officer, The Recording AcademySiri Garber, CEO and Founder, Platform Public RelationsDavid Gardner, President, Artists FirstJeremy Garelick, Writer/Director/ProducerBarbara Garshman, Writer/Producer, Garshman ProductionsLLCAndrew Genger, Manager, Red Light ManagementMaya Giladi, Business & Legal Affairs, NetflixGary Ginsberg, Author and TV ProducerJordan Glickson, VP, Music & Talent, VevoElissa Gold, Creative Event Producer & Cultural ProgrammerMichael Goldstein, Executive ProducerMichael Goldwasser, President/Co-Founder, Easy Star RecordsRobert Golenberg, President, Pivot Artists GroupJonathan Gordon, ProducerMichael Gordon, Partner, Creative Artists AgencyAndrew Gould, President, Music Publishing, Roc NationMarc Graboff, Media ConsultantWestside Gravy, ArtistScott Greenberg, Manager and Partner, LBI EntertainmentJulie Greenwald, Music ExecutiveDaniel Grindlinger, WriterJulie Gurovitsch, Producer, NBCElle Hamilton, Stuntwoman, Stuntwomen's AssociationLynn Harris, Film ProducerRonnie Harris, Partner, Harris & Trotter LLPRonny Hatchwell, Industry Relations Manager, CCFPPatricia Heaton, ActressNoreena Hertz, WriterJoanne Horowitz, Talent Management/ Producer, Joanne Horowitz ManagementSammy Horowitz, Writer/ProducerJosh Howie, Comedian/WriterRichard 'BournRich' Ingram, Artist/Creative DirectorNeil Jacobson, CEO, Hallwood MediaJonathan Jakubowicz, Writer & DirectorSara Johnson, Access ConsultantHeather Kadin, President, Scripted Television, Range Media PartnersDan Kanter, Musical DirectorMichael Kaplan, Writer-ProducerZach Katz, CEO & Co-Founder, FixatedMelanie Kessler, Production Co-ordinatorDana Klein, Writer, EPSam Kling, Chief Creative Officer for SESACKeetgi Kogan Steinberg, Writer/Producer/ShowrunnerBlair Kohan, Partner, United Talent AgencyDavid Kohan, Writer-ProducerEric Kranzler, Co-Founder, Entertainment 360Ynon Kreiz, Chairman and CEO, Mattel Krim, CEO, Krim Music + MediaSherry Lansing, Former CEO, Paramount PicturesEstelle Lasher, President, Lasher GroupAdam Leibner, Partner/Agent, UTAAllan Leicht, WriterColin Lester OBE, Chairman/CEO, JEM Music GroupBen Levine, Partner/Link Entertainment, Link EntertainmentRobert Levine, Editor At Large, BillboardAvi Liberman, EntertainerSharon Lieblein, Casting Director, Sharon Lieblein CastingSean Liebowitz, AgentRobin Lippin, Owner, Lippin/Block CastingCory Litwin, Managing Partner, Music, Range Media PartnersDavid Lonner, CEO, The David Lonner CompanyJane Lush, Former BAFTA Chair and Former BBC Head of Maddahi, President, Unrestricted Publishing/ManagementGabriel Mann, Composer/ProducerDeborah Marcus, Executive, CAAAshlee Margolis, Founder & Managing Partner, The A ListJulianna Marguiles, Actor, Producer, AuthorOrly Marley, President, Tuff Gong WorldwideRafael Marmor, Partner, Delirio FilmsNancy Matalon, ManagerDebra Messing, Actor/ProducerMax Michael, Head of Asia Business Development, UTADarren Michaelson, Director, L25 EntertainmentPetra Miller, Account Director, Alive ActivationGev Miron, DirectorElizabeth Much, CEO, East to West Collective PRDJ Nash, Showrunner/Executive Producer/Director, Next Thing You Know, Novo, SongwriterLisa Nupoff, Manager, iminmusic managementJerry O'Connell, ActorJohn Ondrasik, Five for FightingSharon Osbourne, Manager & TV PersonalityHoward Owens, Co-CEO, PropagateScott Packman, Founder and Managing Member, SSP Partners LLCSharon Paz, Manager/Founder, Paz TalentLeo Pearlman, Co-CEO, Fulwell EntertainmentMark Pinkus, President, Rhino RecordsJonah Platt, Creator/Host, Being Jewish with Jonah PlattWendy Plaut, SVP, Celebrity Talent, Paramount GlobalRhonda Price, Managing Partner, Gersh AgencyJeff Rabhan, CEO, Rabineau, Co-Head, Book to Film/TV, WMEGolan Ramraz, Writer-Producer, EGX Film FactoryBilly Ray, Writer/DirectorBruce Resnikoff, President & CEO, Universal Music EnterprisesFrederic Richter, Archive Producer, Researcher, WriterDoug Robinson, Producer, DRPDan Rosen, President, Warner Music AustralasiaRick Rosen, Co-Founder, WMEAaron Rosenberg, Partner, Myman Greenspan Fox Rosenberg Mobasser Younger & LightErez Rosenberg, AttorneyShani Rosenzweig, Partner, Talent Agent, UTABrian Ross, Writer-ProducerGregg Rossen, ScreenwriterMichael Rotenberg, Partner, 3 Arts EntertainmentLynn Roth, Writer. Producer, Director, Lynn Roth Productions, Rothstein, CEO/Founder, Ice Cream For DinnerSusan Rovner, Producer, Aha StudiosJonathan Ruggiero, FilmmakerHaim Saban, Chairman and CEO, Saban Capital GroupWendy Sachs, Director/Producer, October 8 FilmDavid Sacks, Executive ProducerLaura Salvato, Director, Publicity, Paramount PicturesJacqueline Saturn, President, Virgin MusicNicola Saul, Personal Assistant, Warner MusicAnna Savage, Manager, Full Stop ManagementFred Savage, Actor/Director/ProducerLeslie Schapira, Writer/ProducerWilliam Schmidt, TV WriterSteve Schnur, Worldwide Executive & Music President, Electronic ArtsJordan Schur, CEO & Chairman, Mimran Schur Pictures & Suretone EntertainmentSam Schwartz, Co-principal, Gorfaine/Schwartz AgencyTeddy Schwarzman, CEO, Black BearJay Schweid, Founder/CEO, ephelants / VillageAdam J. Segal, President, The 2050 Group – PublicityRick Senat, ProducerStefi Shabashev, SongwriterProfessor Jonathan Shalit OBE, Chairman, InterTalent Rights Group / Chosen Music / Project 30 StudiosCarly Shear, Head of Legal, Hat Trick ProductionsBen Silverman, Chairman and Co-CEO, Propagate ContentTamar Simon, Film Distribution/PR, Mean Streets ManagementMarty Singer, Managing Partner, Lavely & SingerDanielle Solzman, Film Critic, Solzy at the MoviesJeff Sosnow, EVP A&R, Warner RecordsDonna Spievak, VP of Strategic Marketing, Interscope RecordsHalle Stanford, President, Executive Producer, 7 Crow StoriesMimi Steinberg, Writer and ProducerJonathan Steinsapir, AttorneyTracy Steinsapir, President, Main Title EntertainmentDeena Stern, Marketing ExecutiveCaroline Stevens, Director, iSolutions LtdGary Stiffelman, Founder, GSS LawEstee Stimler, WriterLee Stone, Entertainment Lawyer, Lee & ThompsonAlison Stover, Actor/Filmmaker, Luminous PicturesDaniel Sussman, Talent Manager, Brillstein Entertainment PartnersAaron Symonds, Film Composer, AJS MusicFernando Szew, President, Fox Entertainment StudiosTraci Szymanski, President of Co-Star EntertainmentSharon Tal Yguado, Founder & CEO, Astrid EntertainmentNina Tassler, Prodicer, Kismet Creative GroupAdam Taylor, President, APM MusicSuzanne Tenner, PhotographerFred Toczek, Partner, Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson LLPLee Trink, CEO, Game Theory VenturesEric Tuchman, Writer/Producer, MGM-TVMontana Tucker, Singer/Actress/Dancer/Social Media ActivistNoa Vinshtok, Streaming Manager, Range Media Partners/Range MusicAlex Voihanski, President, Paramount Business GroupVera Wagman, ProducerKatie Walder, ActressEvan Warner, Senior Partner/Agent, WMEDiane Warren, Songwriter, ProducerJoshua Washington, Artist/ProducerJon Weinbach, President, Skydance SportsJenni Weinman, Strategist, The Current Weinstein, Entertainment ExecutiveJarred Weisfeld, President, Objective EntertainmentJoshua Weisleder, Global Music RightsIlana Wernick, Writer/ProducerModi Wiczyk, Co-Founder, MRCCindy Wiener, Music Executive, Realsongs, RealsongsEvan Winiker, Managing Partner, Music, Range Media PartnersCara Wodnicki, Founder, CSW PublicitySeth Yanklewitz, Casting Director, Yanklewitz Pollack CastingHilary Zaitz Michael, Co-Head & Partner, Literary Packaging at WMEKari Zalik, Publicist, Bad ParadeDavid Zedeck, Global Co-Head of Music, UTAOran Zegman, Film/TV Director, Van Zegman Films** Note – The signers of this statement do so as individuals on their own behalf and not on behalf of their companies or organizations. All organizations and companies listed are for affiliation purposes only. Best of Deadline Everything We Know About Netflix's 'The Thursday Murder Club' So Far 2025 TV Series Renewals: Photo Gallery 2025 TV Cancellations: Photo Gallery
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Jerry Seinfeld laughs in anti-Israel heckler's face after Knicks game
Legendary comedian Jerry Seinfeld faced anti-Israel hecklers while leaving a Knicks game. Seinfeld, sporting a Knicks hat, took it in stride and laughed in the protester's face as she accused him of supporting "the genocide of babies in Gaza." A video of the incident, posted on the Palestinian Assembly for Liberation's Instagram page, appears to show the comedian heading to his car as someone off-camera begins shouting at him. "F--- you, Jerry Seinfeld! Free Palestine," the off-camera person yelled at Seinfeld. "You support the genocide of babies in Gaza!" The comedian instantly began laughing at the protester and responded by saying, "Only you." However, the protester continued shouting at him over his support for Israel and even called him a "rabid f---ing dog." Hbo Max Comedian Condemns 'Mass Murder' Of Gazans, Declares 'Never Again Is Now' Seinfeld has been open about his support for Israel for years but became even more vocal after Hamas' Oct. 7 massacre. Just days after the brutal attacks, Seinfeld joined a group of over 2,000 leaders in the entertainment industry in signing a letter supporting Israel. Read On The Fox News App "As Israel takes the necessary steps to defend its citizens in the coming days and weeks, social media will be overrun by an orchestrated misinformation campaign spearheaded by Iran. We urge everyone to remember the horrific images that came out of Israel and to not amplify or fall for their propaganda," the letter, initiated by Creative Community for Peace (CCFP), read. At the end of the letter, CCFP also expressed the desire for Israelis and Palestinians to one day "live side-by-side in peace." For over a year and a half, hecklers have yelled at the comedian at shows and in public. This latest incident comes just months after social media influencer Subway DJ tried to ambush him by asking for a selfie with Seinfeld before declaring, "Free Palestine." The influencer then looked to Seinfeld, seemingly trying to get him to agree, but the comedian delivered a one-liner before walking away: "I don't care about Palestine." Jerry Seinfeld Trolls Pro-palestinian Activist By Saying, 'I Don't Care About Palestine' While he has dealt with hecklers, Seinfeld has also encountered supporters. An avid New York sports fan, Seinfeld was attending a Mets game when a fan asked if he would send a message to his brother, who was "watching from the Gaza border." Seinfeld looked into the fan's camera and said, "Let's go IDF!" Shortly after the war in Gaza began, Seinfeld and his wife, Jessica Sklar, visited Israel in December 2023 and met with survivors of Oct. 7. When discussing the trip in an interview with Bari Weiss, Seinfeld was visibly emotional and even unable to speak for several seconds after calling the visit "the most powerful experience of my life."Original article source: Jerry Seinfeld laughs in anti-Israel heckler's face after Knicks game
Indianapolis Star
01-05-2025
- General
- Indianapolis Star
Volunteers help food insecure at Crooked Creek Food Pantry
'A lot of people need food,' says Jeff Coates. 'It's not too complicated.' Coates volunteered at the nonprofit Crooked Creek Food Pantry, at 6940 N. Michigan Road, for 4.5 years until being hired part time in 2024. But he doesn't like to talk about himself. He focuses his thoughts instead on the clients of the pantry. 'It's not about me; it's about the people in line.' And according to the Executive Director Kathy Hahn Keiner, the line is growing. Her calculations show from January through March in 2025 compared to the same months in 2024, 19% more people are coming through the pantry. 'The trend, even though it's a very short one, is already significantly higher,' says Kathy. She notes high egg prices, grocery bills, fuel, utilities and housing as some of the culprits. On Feb. 15, 2015, the pantry opened, serving five families, she says. In 2024, the day before Thanksgiving, the pantry served 498 families on its largest day. Depending on the day of week and the hours open, the pantry normally serves 350-425 families. It is now a drive-thru distribution with volunteers filling shopping carts full of items for well-rounded meals including meat, milk, protein and fresh produce among other things. Based on the hunger-relief organization Feeding America's formula the 2024 economic value on the community of the local pantry was 7.6 million, and they distributed about 3.8 or 3.9 million pounds of food out of just the CCFP, Keiner says. 'We wouldn't be able to do what we do without volunteers,' she adds. And they can always use more. Missi Young volunteers. Though she has done several jobs, she now keeps the line of cars moving, registering the clients before they receive their food. She enjoys the interaction and getting to know some of the families driving through. Sometimes she hears their stories, their challenges, their joys. On one day in March, she got to meet the new baby in one of her regular families. The father was driving, and he was so excited to tell her the baby had been born. But not all the people are as happy. Young remembers the women who have come through who were homeless or getting out of bad domestic situations. It's very hard for them just to even come to the pantry, she says. 'Those are the ones that touch my heart the most, because I realize how difficult it is.' One client even asked Young how she, too, could volunteer at the pantry. 'People are hungry all year round, not just during the holidays,' says Keiner. The pantry collaborates with Gleaners, Midwest food bank, and various neighborhood retailers, increasing their stock. Donations of food are always appreciated and never turned away. But financial donations can do the most good. With the food pantry collaborations, they can stretch their money and pinpoint what they want to purchase. 'We'll pay anywhere from $3 to $9 for one of those grocery carts,' says Keiner illustrating the pantry's cost advantage over retail where a shopper might pay $75 for a cart filled with similar items. 'Maddening and heart-wrenching': Local group saves, shares food wasted for looks Volunteer Quin Lee stresses that you have to put judgement on hold. He illustrates that no one knows the others' stories when he remembers once seeing a client in a really nice Mercedes. 'I lost my job,' said the woman. 'Car's paid for. Why am I going to get rid of a really good car, get a cheaper one that is going to need more repairs?' she explained. Language is sometimes a real challenge at the pantry. Coates says clients are from all over the world and some don't speak English. Even though some staffers speak Spanish, many volunteers learn other ways to communicate and adapt. Coates uses a smart phone app to translate. One client especially reminds Coates of the reason he loves working at Crooked Creek Food Pantry. A 'walker,' or a client not in a vehicle, walked up one day. She couldn't speak English. But she and Coates communicated anyway. He helped her fill her backpack and gave her a couple bags to transport her food. She motioned to him to put a big box on her head before she headed home, walking on Michigan. Coates saw her several more times, and she looked for him to help her. Each time he would help put the box on her head to complete her tow. But one time Coates witnessed a person in line getting their own food, heading out, stopping to pick her up, giving her a ride. He gets tearful remembering the kindness of the community. 'That's why we're here,' he says noting everyone helping each other. Keiner remembers the testimony of one client who spoke at the recent ten-year celebration for the pantry. The woman had many financial and health challenges. She was down to $2 in her food budget one day. If it wasn't for the pantry, she wouldn't eat, and her family wouldn't eat. Every little bit helps, says Keiner. The pantry can be a constant resource. 'If they can save their budget for other items because they're getting some of their groceries here, we're all for it. Maybe they can pay for their medicine, or maybe they can pay their utility bill. I mean that's really important.' The pantry, which serves the Pike Township community and part of Washington Township to Meridian St., is open regularly on Wednesdays and Fridays, 10:00am to 12:30, and 1:00pm to 3:30,as well as Thursdays from 1:00 pm to 5:00pm. Occasionally they also have extra days. And like the U.S. Postal Service, they operate in any weather — rain wind or snow.
