From One Home to 45+ Locations: Chesed 24/7 Celebrates Its Medicine Chest Volunteers

It started with one home, one shelf, and one quiet need: a family searching for children's Tylenol on a Friday night. Today, the Chesed 24/7 Medicine Chest reaches more than 45 host locations across Monsey, Spring Valley, New City, and the Catskills. In May 2026, we gathered the volunteers who make it possible, the hosts who open their doors at all hours, for our first appreciation evening. Chavy Greenberg, founder of Chesed 24/7, who shaped the program from its earliest days, shared the story of how it all grew.

Chesed 24/7 Hosts First-Ever Medicine Chest Volunteer Appreciation Event

On a soft spring evening in May 2026, our Medicine Chest hosts came together for something they rarely receive, a thank you. For years, these neighbors have answered knocks at all hours of the day and night from families desperate for over-the-counter pharmaceuticals. The appreciation event was small in scale but full in heart: a quiet acknowledgement of the people who turn ordinary homes into 24-hour points of care.

The Story Behind the Program

Chavy Greenberg stood up that evening and brought everyone back to the beginning. The Medicine Chest started, simply, in her own home. A few neighbors knew she kept basic over-the-counter medications on hand. Word spread the way it always does in our communities, quietly, through a friend, a cousin, a shul announcement. Within a few months, families across the block were stopping by on Shabbos for infant Tylenol, Pepto, saline drops, and cold medicine.

It became clear that one home could not carry the need. Pharmacies close. Shabbos and Yom Tov stretch on. Babies spike fevers at 2 a.m. So we did what our community does best: we asked who else might be willing. One home became four. Four became a dozen. By 2026, the network grew to over 45 stocked locations across Monsey, Spring Valley, New City, and even Gibbers in the Catskills.

How the Medicine Chest Works

Each host keeps a labeled, organized supply of common OTC items in their home. When a family needs something, particularly outside pharmacy hours, they can knock at a host's door if one is nearby and known to them. Host locations are advertised and mapped across neighborhoods so that, in most cases, a chest is within a short walk on Shabbos.

Typical contents include:

• Fever and pain relief for adults and children (acetaminophen, ibuprofen)
• Cold, cough, and allergy medications
• Stomach remedies (anti-diarrheal, antacids, oral rehydration)
• Basic first-aid supplies
• Pediatric drops and saline

Everything is free. Everything is donor-funded. And everything is restocked on a regular schedule so a host is never caught with empty shelves when a neighbor knocks.

Who Our Hosts Are

Our hosts are mothers, grandmothers, kollel families, and working couples. Some have been with us for over a decade. Others joined this past year after a chest opened up on their block. They share one trait: a willingness to be interrupted. A community medicine chest host doesn't get to schedule when illness arrives. A two-year-old's ear infection doesn't wait for Motzei Shabbos.

At the event, one host shared that she had been woken three times during a single Yom Tov, twice for children, once for an elderly neighbor. "Each time," she said, "I was glad I had what they needed." That sentiment came up again and again.

Impact in Numbers

The scope of the program, as of the May 2026 event:

• 45+ active Medicine Chest host locations across Monsey, Spring Valley, and the surrounding areas
• 24/7 access, including all Shabbosos and Yamim Tovim
• $0 cost to any family using the service
• 1985, the year Chesed 24/7 was founded, with the Medicine Chest growing as one of its longest-running community programs
• Restocking happens twice a year, before Pesach and Sukkos. 

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Stories From the Field

One family at the event spoke about a Friday night two winters ago. Their toddler had a fever climbing past 103. They had run out of children's medication that afternoon and hadn't realized. A neighbor pointed them to a host two doors down. Within ten minutes, the child had the right dose, and the parents had something almost as important: the calm of knowing help was that close.

Another story came from a Catskills summer bungalow colony, where a host chest opened in 2024. A grandmother visiting for Shabbos developed a sudden allergic reaction. Antihistamines from the local chest held her steady until her family could reach a doctor after Shabbos.

These stories are not unusual. They are, in many ways, the weekly rhythm of the program, quiet, practical, and exactly when needed.

How This Fits Into Our Larger Mission

The Medicine Chest is one part of a broader ecosystem of community support programs that includes hospital hospitality rooms, Chesed Apartments, Shabbos in a Box, medical supply lending, transportation, and the 24-hour hotline. Together, these programs reflect Chesed 24/7’s mission to thoughtfully address and support the medical and practical needs of the community while remaining deeply attuned to the unique needs of the Jewish community.

The Medicine Chest is a simple but meaningful example of how accessible, community-based support can ease difficult moments for families and individuals alike. And many of our most committed volunteer hosts and donors have been recipients of the thoughtful services that Chesed 24/7 provides.

How You Can Be Part of It

There are a few quiet ways to participate:

• Host a chest. If you live in the greater Monsey region  and your area doesn't yet have a host, we'd like to hear from you.
• Sponsor restocking. A full chest costs several hundred dollars per year per location to maintain, depending on usage. Donor support keeps every shelf full.

To host a chest, or support the program, call our hotline at 845-354-3233.

A Closing Thought From the Evening

Chavy ended her remarks simply. She said the Medicine Chest was never planned. It grew because people kept saying yes, one more neighborhood, one more late-night knock. From one home to 45+ locations, the program stands as a reminder that the most reliable infrastructure in a community is often built one quiet yes at a time. To every host who opened their door this past year: thank you. Every patient. Every need. Every day.

Frequently Asked Questions About Chesed 24/7 Medicine Chest

What is the Chesed 24/7 Medicine Chest and how does it work?

The Chesed 24/7 Medicine Chest is a network of 45+ volunteer-hosted locations stocked with free over-the-counter medications across Monsey, Spring Valley, New City, and even Gibbers in the Catskills. Families can check periodic local magazine listings to find a nearby host to access fever reducers, cold medicine, allergy items, and other essentials 24/7, including Shabbos and Yom Tov.

How can I access medication from a Medicine Chest location near me?

Call the Chesed 24/7 hotline at 845-354-3233 in advance to find a nearby Medicine Chest host, or knock on a host's door if you know one in your neighborhood. Access is completely free and available during Shabbos, and Yom Tov.

What types of medications are available in Chesed's Medicine Chest?

Chests stock common OTC items including fever and pain relief for adults and children (acetaminophen, ibuprofen), cold and cough medications, allergy remedies, stomach treatments, basic first-aid supplies, and pediatric drops and saline. Contents are regularly restocked based on seasonal demand.

Can I become a Medicine Chest host in my neighborhood?

Yes. If you live in Monsey, Spring Valley, New City, or summer in the Catskills, and your area doesn't have a host, Chesed 24/7 welcomes you to participate. Your Lifesaver on Shabbos has details. Call 845-354-3233 to learn more about hosting.

How is the Medicine Chest program funded and sustained?

The Medicine Chest is entirely donor-funded and free to all users. A full chest costs roughly $300–$500 annually per location to maintain. Chesed 24/7 relies on community sponsorships, bulk purchasing, and seasonal giving drives to keep shelves stocked for families in need.

Is the Medicine Chest part of a larger community support system?

Yes. The Medicine Chest sits within a broader Chesed 24/7 ecosystem that includes hospital hospitality rooms, furnished apartments, transportation, and meal support. Many families encounter Chesed 24/7 first through a Medicine Chest visit, then access other services during medical crises.

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