[COMMUNICATED] By L. Halevi. Tomchei Shabbos of Lakewood is one of the hardest organizations to write about.

There are so many stories, but all of them are discreet.

There are so many reasons why individuals and families find themselves knocking at Tomchei Shabbos’ doors for assistance, but all of those details are kept under wraps.

There are so many children who have smiles on their faces due to Tomchei Shabbos’ assistance, but they look identical to their friends and nobody will ever be ever to differentiate them.

There are hundreds of families who service, week in, week out, on Tomchei Shabbos packages of food, but we can never discuss their details.

Tomchei Shabbos, for over 30 years already, has perfected their daily, weekly and monthly operation to a science, where they can be helping people right under our noses, but it goes undetected.

Dignity and respect of every single Lakewood Mishpacha that is helped is first and foremost in the mission of Tomchei Shabbos.

Yes, this makes it quite difficult to highlight their work, and makes the job of  the writers and marketing people quite frustrating. With no real details or particulars to work with, no recipients to observe and interview, it leaves only the hard facts, the tremendous amounts of potatoes and fish and chicken and pasta to tell the hidden story. It leaves the scores of volunteers who pack up the weekly and monthly packages, to give an inkling of the scope of the recipients.

Suffice it to say that what Tomchei Shabbos lacks in glitzy marketing details, it makes up for via the sheer authenticity of its work. What it lacks in public recipient testimonials, it makes up for  via the sheer volume of actual Thank You letters received by the office each week.

Tomchei Shabbos of Lakewood is there for our fellow neighbors, friends and relatives, not just for Tzorchei Shabbos, but for Tzorchei Sunday through Friday as well. Families are sustained by Tomchei Shabbos, day after day, week after week, month after month, and there is nothing more that needs to be said.

Tomchei Shabbos – or more aptly, Tomchei Every Day – is magnificent in its monotonous simplicity; it is overwhelming in its dull discretion. Yes, its grandeur is intrinsically known by the community it serves, as is evidenced by the unwavering support Tomchei Shabbos receives from the Kehila at large, in so many ways, including volunteering and financial backing.

As the annual dinner approaches, it is an appropriate time to remind the community that though Tomchei Shabbos shoulders the burden of the community, that burden is indeed very heavy, and cannot be accomplished without continuous communal support.