Joseph Gitler relocated from New York to Israel in 2000, arriving just ten days before the Second Intifada began. He had no intention of founding a charity and worked instead as a lawyer raising a young family.

What troubled him most was an obvious mismatch: widespread poverty alongside lavish hotel breakfasts and wedding spreads that went untouched at the end of each event.

Though many observed the issue, no one acted. Gitler began contacting caterers to collect surplus food and delivered it himself using his personal vehicle. He now cautions others against following that approach.

More than two decades later, his solo effort has grown into Leket Israel, the country's central food bank. It employs 180 staff members, engages over 100,000 volunteers annually, operates a fleet of refrigerated vehicles, and partners with 400 agencies to distribute aid throughout every sector of Israeli society.

Gitler sheds light on less visible aspects of hunger, including what he terms startup nation poverty affecting those outside the tech sector. He recalls visiting a working household equipped with a large television and phones for the children, only to learn these items represented their sole source of leisure.

He cites a striking statistic that between 40 and 50 percent of food produced in the West ends up discarded. Gitler also notes that his American accent proved useful at first, as suppliers assumed anyone phoning from New York with such requests was serious about the cause.

Events of October 7 transformed operations. Access to farms near Gaza was lost and tourist hotels stood empty, prompting Leket to support growers through volunteer transport, an emergency loan program, and direct financial assistance to longstanding farming partners. The name Leket itself draws from the biblical practice of leaving field gleanings for those in need.