You already know Lefty’s Bagels for their New York-style bagels, but here’s something else to love about them—they’re making sure those bagels do more than just fill stomachs.
In 2024 alone, Lefty’s donated more than 41,000 bagels to the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, helping families who could use a little extra nourishment. That’s a lot of bagels, a lot of cream cheese and, most importantly, a lot of good.
For Scott “Lefty” Lefton and Doug Goldenberg, donating was an easy decision.
“We’ve had many people come in and say thank you to us for our donations,” Goldenberg said. “We haven’t really seen any increase in business due to this, but lots of community appreciation.”
More than just bagels
The donations don’t stop at Kornblum. Lefty’s has also given to the Salvation Army, Goodwill and local homeless shelters.
“We have been donating to several organizations including the Jewish Food Pantry, Salvation Army, Goodwill and the homeless,” Goldenberg said.
But Lefton sees a bigger opportunity.
“Food waste is a really huge problem for the restaurant industry,” he said. “It would be great if other restaurants were able to get involved in food donations.”
A bagel with a mission
If Lefty’s were to create a special bagel to represent its commitment to fighting hunger, Lefton already has the perfect name: the Tzedakah Bagel.
“If I had to come up with something, probably a pumpernickel bagel with everything bagel seasoning,” he said. “That’s as close to what I think ‘mitzvah’ tastes like.”
While a new bagel flavor might not be in the works just yet, Lefton and Goldenberg are simply grateful to be able to give back.
“There is great pleasure knowing we are helping feed our community, especially those in need,” Lefton said. “Children are some of the most common recipients of the food donations and we are sincerely thankful we are able to help.”
Want to help? Here’s how
The Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry is always looking for support, whether it’s in the form of food donations, financial contributions or volunteer time.
“The food pantry is always in need of volunteers, protein sources and financial support to purchase food items that round out our donations,” said Jewish Family Services CEO Miriam Seidenfeld. The food pantry falls under the auspices of JFS.
If you want to get involved, visit jfcs-stl.org to learn more.
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