A Package from Home

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

A Package from Home
4/13 Shai Agnon Street, Jerusalem, Israel

Contact: Barbara Bloom Silverman, Founder 516 791-8100; Shira Gilor, Project Manager 02-6232667

Packages are sent to Israeli soldiers to strengthen their spirits, show our appreciation and support, and provide items they need.

We send tens of thousands of packages to Combat Chayalim Bodedim (soldiers without family in Israel) and severely wounded soldiers who are receiving long term hospital care.

The basic packages – sent in the summer – are filled with a bath towel, socks, t-shirt, boxer shorts, wet wipes, special band aids for blisters, deodorant, travel size tooth paste and a tooth brush, assorted candy, chocolates, and snacks, and toiletries like shampoo, hand cream, lip balm etc.

Our winter packages include all of the above plus winter clothing: a fleece jacket, fleece blanket, ski hat, gloves, neck warmer, and a 2 piece long underwear set. Each package contains 4 letters of appreciation, Hebrew, English, Russian, Amharic, from children and adults from all over the world for their part in securing our country’s safety.

As a mitzvah project or community service project, write letters to the soldiers, collect items to send with people going to Israel, collect donations and adopt a unit, or knit or crochet winter hats for the soldiers. Visit our website to learn about more about these and other mitzvah opportunities.

Bnai Zion Foundation

Posted on January 28, 2013 by Valerie

http://www.bnaizion.org

577 Wanamaker Rd. Jenkintown, PA 19046

Contact: Sharona Durry -Mid-Atlantic Director sharonadurry@phillyisrael.com, 267-250-3835

Bnai Zion Foundation is dedicated to assisting those in need with humanitarian projects in both Israel and America. The organization has completed hundreds of initiatives for the people of Israel and for Jewish people worldwide.

Ahava Village for Children & Youth holds a special place in the heart of Bnai Zion. Nestled in a quiet residential area of the northern town Kiryat Bialik, Ahava is a center for children ages six to eighteen removed by Court order from high-risk home situations. Comprised of fifteen apartments, educational facilities and leisure areas, the campus is home to two hundred children, who receive personalized care, therapy, support and training. The children live in apartments with foster parents who provide a loving and family-oriented environment, and they attend school at the village.

Designed to help children overcome the stresses of a severely dysfunctional background, Ahava offers a variety of activities and therapies. The village plays a leading role in integrating these children into Israeli society to be fulfilled citizens leading well-adjusted lives – a challenge done on a very limited budget.

A residential building was constructed in 2008 with apartments for former Ahava residents who are now serving in Israel’s military as part of the 18+ program. These apartments are reserved for soldiers, national service persons and demobilized soldiers who do not have families to return to, for whom Ahava staff serve as mentors and support, so that these young adults can have a warm and welcoming home – whether on leave or post-service.

Soldiers and service members are entitled to periodic home visits, but those who were raised at Ahava do not always have family to welcome them. These apartments provide them with a relaxing and familiar environment to come home to, with the encouragement of caring Ahava staff to help them during holidays, weekends and other times when soldiers are given leave.

Ahava staff also provide ongoing phone support for these soldiers to call in whenever they need an understanding ear or help moving forward. This is a very significant, specialized program for which funds are always needed. The military provides basic provisions, but soldiers can always benefit from additional gift items, such as a heavy winter coat, sneakers (so that they can change out of their heavy military-issue boots), sunglasses, a thick knitted scarf and hat, sunblock, mosquito repellent, and a high-quality sleeping bag.

Volunteer Opportunity: For a mitzvah project, you can choose from the suggestions below or create your own community service idea.

- Creating friendship bracelet with the letter A H V A H – LOVE (Ahava means love)

- Write a fundraising letter that will be included in the plastic bag with the bracelets.

- Write fundraising letters

- Collect clothing for the children

- Start a hat, coat or gloves drive to send to the IDF soldier who graduated from Ahava

- Bake desserts and sell them to raise funds for Ahava.

- Hold an Old Hebrew and English books sale

- Create a car wash for Ahava

- Design & create a recipe book that can be sold through your synagogue’s sisterhood or at a school event where the proceeds benefit Ahava.

- Arrange for a visit at Ahava and contribute your time there.

Cell Phones for Soldiers

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

Cell Phones for Soldiers
243 Winter Street, Norwell, MA

Contact: Crystal Emerick, Marketing Agency 704 361-5230 crystal.emerick@aspirecommunications.org

Cell Phones for Soldiers is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to providing free means of communication to the men and women serving in the United States military.

Donated cell phones are sold to recycling partner, ReCellular. The money received from recycling cell phones is used to purchase calling cards and other communication tools for the U.S. military.

In July 2012, the Cell Phones for Soldiers launched a new program, Helping Heroes Home, which will provide emergency funds for returning veterans to alleviate communication challenges as well as physical, emotional and assimilation hardships.

High school community service and mitzvah project volunteers are encouraged to collect gently-used mobile phones. Once collected, the phones are processed and the proceeds go to Cell Phones for Soldiers. Cell Phones for Soldiers then provides those funds via prepaid calling cards to soldiers serving overseas.

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces

Posted on May 9, 2012 by admin

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces

500 Office Center Drive, Suite 400, Ft. Washington, PA 19034

Contact: Tzvia Wexler tzvia.wexler@fidf.org 267-513-1875

Friends of the Israel Defense Forces (FIDF) was established in 1981 by a group of Holocaust survivors to provide for the wellbeing of the men and women who serve in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) as well as the families of fallen soldiers. Headquartered in New York City, FIDF is a 501c3 not-for-profit corporation that operates 14 regional offices in the United States and one office in Latin America.

The strength of the IDF, which has been guarding the State of Israel since it declared independence in 1948, derives from the selfless determination and great capabilities of the young men and women who form it. At the tender age of 18, all Israelis are drafted into the IDF. Those who serve commit to uphold the difficult tasks of defending Israel’s borders and guaranteeing the safety of its people.

The Israeli government is responsible for training IDF soldiers and providing them with the necessary tools for their service. FIDF is committed to providing these soldiers with love, support, and care in an effort to ease the burden they carry on behalf of the Jewish community worldwide.
Their job is to look after Israel. Ours is to look after them.
Friends of the Israel Defense Forces provide and support social, educational, cultural, and recreational programs and facilities for the young men and women soldiers of Israel who defend the Jewish homeland. It also offers these services to the families of fallen soldiers.

For your mitzvah project or community service project, dedicate a fundraiser such as a bake-sale, walk-a-thon or fashion show production to the brave soldiers of the IDF – or sell FIDF bracelets and pins – or hold a gathering at which your friends can meet an IDF soldier. B’nai Mitzvah students can select a Program that touches their heart and one that will benefit from their fundraising. Examples are the ‘Legacy’ program that ensures that a child whose parent or sibling has been killed in action, has a memorable Bar/Bat Mitzvah, and the ‘Dignity’ program that provides relief to Lone Soldiers and IDF soldiers in-need.

Yashar LaChayal

Posted on June 20, 2012 by Valerie

http://www.yasharlachayal.org

Yashar LaChayal P.O. Box 69 Adumim, Israel

Friends of Yashar LaChayal, 49 Meadow Lane, Lawrence, NY 11559

Contact: Lisa Weinsoff, Project Coordinator lisa@yasharlachayal.org 954-633-5268

Yashar LaChayal is dedicated to assisting soldiers in the Israel Defense forces by providing goods and services when they are necessary, quickly and efficiently. Ongoing campaigns assist the families of needy IDF soldiers and provide Lone Soldiers in the IDF with assistance and support.

Volunteer teams in Israel visit injured soldiers, and funds are raised in order to assist them as they recover from their injuries. In the autumn, Yashar LaChayal raises money to purchase winterwear for soldiers, and in the spring and summer, funds are raised to purchase water backpacks, especially for soldiers serving in the desert.

Community service project ideas: Individuals can raise funds by doing bake sales or yard sales. Some other creative projects involved selling imprinted items such as rubber bracelets imprinted with “Warm Our Soldiers” and hand painted T-shirts. Teens are welcome to write letters to be included with the goods. Donors have the option of bringing the goods purchased with their donation to the army base and presenting the items to the soldiers.

As a mitzvah project, bar and bat mitzvahs can donate a portion of their own funds from jobs or from bar and bat mitzvah gifts.Teens usually send their donations to benefit the seasonal projects, such as the Warm Winter Campaign for hats, fleece jackets, thermals,

etc, or the Water Backpack Campaign. Teens that are interested in sports have opted to make donations toward the purchase of recreational goods for bases, such as portable exercise stands, basketball hoops or sometimes even televisions.