There are no boundaries when it comes to giving in the Bartram Springs neighborhood. “I just want to thank these people,” Jacksonville Jewish Center Food Drive Co-Chair Mimi Kaufman said.

Kaufman and her husband Marty run the food drive out of the Jacksonville Jewish Center. Donations gathered there go on to The LJD Jewish Family & Community Services Max Block Food Pantry.

Kaufman said during trying times with rising inflation and grocery costs, donating food to those in need is more important than ever. Her neighbors are delivering. At any time in her neighborhood clubhouse, Kaufman said she finds dozens of canned goods, boxes of cereal, flour, sugar, peanut butter, and more. She even finds baby food in the donation box every now and then.

It’s just taken off,” Kaufman said.

Sometimes, Kaufman said she is taking truckloads of donations to the Jewish Center. And it all started with a simple newsletter. Kaufman said she never reached out to anyone personally; they all just stepped up on their own.

Kaufman noted that most of her neighbors are not Jewish, but choose to donate simply for the better good.

So, she says thank you.

Thank you for your generosity. Thank you for caring about people in our neighborhood who are less fortunate than we are,’ Kaufman said.