Today, the organization
provides assistance to people and families of dire need throughout the country,
with the support of many. The workers and volunteers work towards the goal
of the organization: to ease the suffering of families of orphans, widows, single
parent families, large families, etc. The organization attempts
to realize its goal in the following ways:
BASIC
ACTIVITIES
Distribution of Food Packages throughout
the Country
Each week the organization distributes over
2500 food packages at various distribution points throughout the country (including
1000 packages within Jerusalem) Each package contains: chicken, fish, fruit,
vegetables, legumes, canned goods, challa for Shabbat, and more. Volunteers
distribute the packages. During the holiday season, almost ten thousand
(10,000 !!) packages are distributed.
Yad Ezra Veshulamit
operates soup kitchens throughout the country, and, in addition, operates soup
kitchens from private homes together with families willing to cook and provide
both snacks and hot lunches for hungry children.
A truck departs each
day from Jerusalem filled with such food portions, which are then distributed
to the various soup kitchens throughout the country. The food is well stored and
properly refrigerated until its distribution to the needy families. In especially
difficult and extenuating circumstances, the organization provides financial support
to families (e.g., widows and orphans, or where a family member is in need of
expensive medical care, etc.) The organization arranges for special fund
raising drives to help achieve this goal, and then passes the donations straight
on to the families. The organization tries to match individual donors with “adopted”
families.
Once a week, a volunteer from the organization holds individual
sessions to “lend an ear”, so to speak, with people who want to discuss their
problems, after which they are directed to proper professional help (funds are
raised specifically towards this aid). One example: An engaged orphan bride
was sent by our organization - on her wedding day - to a “beauty
salon”, and besides the treatment which she received there free of charge, she
also received a financial “gift” from them! The organization arranges
special “bazaar sales” of clothing, footwear, toys, school supplies, etc, at very
low rates.
MANPOWER
There are at present over 500 volunteers
active in the organization, over two hundred of which also bring their motor vehicle
along. These volunteers come from all different walks of life, and they work at
all hours of the day and night, in all weather conditions, all towards the goal
of helping to provide for those in need. * * * Food
is collected by the organization a wide variety of ways: School children
go door-to-door collecting; or sometimes bring food from their own homes. Telemarketers
get donations from food warehouses and/or other businesses. There are over
100 “collection stops” outside supermarkets throughout the country, where shoppers
can donate from their purchases to needy families. Just recently the Ministry
of Agriculture has directed our attention to the agricultural center in Bet Dagan,
who provide us now with generous supply of potatoes. Between Wednesday mornings
and Thursday afternoons, fruit and vegetables are brought in bulk to the head
offices of the organization, along with all the food that was gathered at the
“collection stops”. The volunteers then begin to divide up all of the food
and fill the individual packages. From 1PM every Thursday, families begin
to arrive to receive their package. There are many families who feel to
embarrassed to personally come and pick up their parcel. For these families, volunteers
(over 100 at present) drive to their homes and leave their packages outside their
doorstep. Over 200 volunteers work in sorting and packaging. ACCEPTANCE
CONDITIONS
Anyone interested in receiving a care package must fill
out a detailed questionnaire. Additional documents must be provided, e.g.
ID cards, income Tax returns, medical documents, etc. A committee then deals
with each request based upon the information provided, and decisions are made
also based on specific special needs of each family.
MAIN HEADQUARTERS
The head office is situated in the Jerusalem’s
Bet Yisrael neighborhood on 28 Shimon Rokach St. The weekly distribution also
takes place from this location. ADDITIONAL BRANCHES
Place
Manager’s name
AddressYavne
Naim Sharon
Moshav Ben Zakai 13 Betar Illit Deborah
Asis
34/3 Igrot Moshe St. BetaR Illit B Joshua Sharabani
21/5 Kaf HaChaim St. Kadima
Hagit Nussbaum
POB 396 Tel Aviv
Ro’i Segal
5 Emden St.
“
Natalie Semadar
56/8 Isaac Harif St.
“
Orli Golan
15 Kehilat Lodz St. Brachfeld Naomi
Tyri
10 Yehuda Ha Nasi St. Kiryat Ata Karin Cohen
16 Ha-erev St. Ashkelon Nitza
Naim
450/5 Hovevei Tzion St. Ashdod
Iris Farjin
3 / 4 Rav Hisda St. Ashdod Gabriel
Biton
10/5 Uziahu Blvd. Netanya Ravid
Eisner
Benjamin Blvd. Safed
Talia Kadosh
11 Ha-Yud-Aleph St. Bet Shemesh
Chavit Naki
10 Nahal Revivim St. Bnei Beraq Miriam Ne’eman 16 Shivtei Yisael St. Holon
Esther Shaulov
33 Ha-Arava St. Kiryat Yam
Leah Cohen
29/11 Jerusalem Blvd. Tiberias
Hagit Schein
127/4 Rabbi Akiva St. SOUP KITCHENS Ashkelon Nitza
Naim
450/5 Hovevei Tzion St. Jerusalem Chaya Mizrahi
Shmuel HaNavi Sderot
Sinai Shimon
1 Habrosh St. Kiryat Gat Penina Levy
9/14 Ramot David Jerusalem Shiran Cohen
237 Achot Yehudit St.
It should be noted that our
organization is highly recommended, including recommendations from The President
and the office of the Chief Rabbinate.
The organization has granted assistance
to people referred to us through the Ministry of Welfare, and to soldiers based
at the Julis army camp.
Dear brothers throughout the world!
Many
of your brethren in Israel now find themselves in dire situations, with no means
of providing even the bare minimum of sustenance for themselves. Statistics
released by the Israel National Insurance Institute on April 18, 2004 show over
600,000 children living below the poverty line – that accounts for almost one
third of all children in the country! Other reports also indicate many,
many entire families suffering from lack of food. It is sad and unfortunate
to admit that on more than one occasion, this situation led to suicide!!
We are in desperate need of any and all of your assistance.Respectfully
yours,
Ariel Sh. Lurie
Director
Yad Ezra VeShulamit Visitors
to Jerusalem who would like to experience the real Israel are invited to spend
an afternoon volunteering for Yad Ezra VeShulamit. What better way to give meaning
to your Bar Mitzvah, or other Simcha, than through helping Israel's poor. For
more information, please call: 011-972-526760037 or 347-408-1028. | 
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