Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries in the shell-shocked border town of Sderot, Israel, will be handing out hundreds of grocery vouchers worth nearly $300 to needy families in advance of the Passover holiday next month.

Rabbi Moshe Ze'ev Pizem, co-director of Chabad-Lubavitch of Sderot, explained that the distribution will serve two purposes: Families hit hard by the seemingly endless barrage of rockets aimed on them by Palestinian terrorists in the Gaza Strip will be able to purchase the food they need for the holiday, and shopkeepers will benefit from the infusion of extra cash into their beleaguered registers.

"Until now, many families had normal lives," said Pizem. "But they are in dire straits because of the situation. Life here is crazy; people are really suffering."

In just the past few months, thousands of rockets have fallen on Sderot and nearby areas, sending scores of people packing and leaving the desert locale a relative ghost town. Last month, a Kassam hit just 50 meters from the Chabad House during its weekly Gymboree session for neighborhood children. Yesterday, shrapnel from an exploding rocket killed 47-year-old and father of four Roni Yihye, who was standing in the parking lot of the Sapir Academic College where he was a student.

Those who have remained in Sderot were already teetering on economic hardship.

"We want these families to be able to have plenty to eat for Passover," said Pizem.