Michael Costello is the Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia’s director of donor services and projects, and he is responsible for the Mitzvah Food Program, which distributes meals to thousands of food insecure people in the Philadelphia area at four different pantries.
Since the start of 2025, the program has taken on more than 500 new households, many of them Jewish. While the program was created in 1996 largely to help needy Jewish families survive, the role it plays in helping non-Jews is just as important. Costello said he is always cognizant of the fact that, for many, assistance from the Federation is their introduction to Judaism.
“We make an effort to make sure that we serve everyone fairly and with dignity, and I want the first face they see to be a welcoming Jew, and to let people know that we are welcoming and embrace community,” Costello said. “It’s been my experience that that’s the case, and given the alarming rise in antisemitism, I find it a two-fold mission to serve those who need it and ensure that folks know they can turn to us and that we are here to help them.”
Costello understands the importance of these cross-communal relationships on a personal level. He was raised Catholic but is now Jewish. Whether it’s in a professional or personal sense, Costello lives a Jewish life. He works at the Federation and typically attends services at Reform Congregation Keneseth Israel in Elkins Park, choosing that synagogue because it hosts the Holocaust Awareness Museum and Education Center. He said that he was taken with Jewish ideals and values at a young age.
“Judaism is where my inklings lie,” the East Falls resident said.
Costello joined the Federation’s finance department before moving to donor services. He enjoyed both areas of work, but said that he feels mission-oriented in this role.
“I think food is a right that everyone has,” he said. “I want to make sure that, if we’re going to be in this space, that we can be among the best at it, so I participate in some of the community councils.”
Philabundance is an organization that works toward food security, and they have a council with other local peer organizations that Costello takes part in. He said work like this has only increased in importance considering recent federal funding cuts that will affect like-minded organizations.
“I’m on that and trying to kind of steer that — how we can get legislators to sort of open their hearts and eyes to the situation, because the way the cuts have been staggered, I don’t see a localized impact as much today as I would expect to see a year from now. I think they timed the cuts specifically around the midterms or immediately thereafter, but we are still seeing a growing need,” Costello said.
Those cuts at the federal level have meant that a lot of the food providers used by the Mitzvah Food Program do not have the resources that they once did.
“Inventory is dwindling, and we’re purchasing more and more food options,” he said. “But we’re not at the point yet to reduce the amount of food that we provide.”
Key elements of the Mitzvah Food Program are that the food is healthy and that the recipients have a choice in what they receive. Costello said the program empowers people to feel like they are making their own choices while providing them with a framework that supports good dietary habits.
“At two of our sites, our constituents can go in and pick what they want. They’re allotted a certain number of points per month — the more nutritious the item is, the less points that are required to use it, and this enables them to kind of shop with dignity and do their own shopping,” he said.
Costello said that there is no shame in taking part in a program like this and that the team behind the Mitzvah Food Program works hard to reinforce that fact.
“They’re welcome to call us at any time. We have an operations manager who’s available to assist folks as part of the intake process. We try to alleviate their fears and make sure that they know that nobody’s looking down or judging and that we just want to help them on the path to self-sustainability or self-sufficiency,” he said. “Everyone could use a leg up from time to time or a helping hand when they need it. I’ve had experiences in my life where I’ve needed a little bit of assistance, and it goes a long way.”
For Costello, all of this work is a team effort. He is proud to be a Jew, proud to be with the Federation and proud of the role that the Mitzvah Food Program plays in the Philadelphia community.
“If nothing else, let us be the first hand that shakes your hand to welcome you to the neighborhood,” he said.