Pardes wanted to feed the hungry. She chose to support the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry because her family believes in its mission.

Daughter of Rhona Lyons and David Warren of Olivette, Pardes’s bat mitzvah just happened to fall on March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day. Taking a spin on the holiday and the color green, Pardes asked her guests to bring reusable lunch boxes filled with non-perishable food to her bat mitzvah.  These were then donated to the Jewish Food Pantry.  The lunch boxes were a way to combine feeding the hungry with making a better choice for the environment.

A student at Ladue Middle School, Pardes collected four large tubs of stuffed lunchboxes.  She enjoyed doing her project and said, “I liked the feeling of helping others.”  As part of her bat mitzvah, Pardes also made a significant donation to several nonprofits working to help the environment. 

Although her project has been completed, Pardes reminds everyone that food banks and food pantries still need our help.  Cory Eichorn, manager of the Harvey Kornblum Jewish Food Pantry, said that the number one item needed at this time is kosher meat. 

Additionally, the U.S. Department of Agriculture usually sends the pantry 28,000 to 30,000 pounds of canned goods each month.  This month’s shipment was just one-third of that, about 9,000 pounds. Therefore, items like canned vegetables and peanut butter are needed, too. Any donations would be greatly appreciated.