Projects in the Community
ESRA is dedicated to making Israel a better society. We do this through our volunteer work, creating special projects aimed at any sector of society that can benefit from our help. We are devoted to helping immigrant groups in a wide variety of creative ways, as well as helping the needy, the disabled, or talented youngsters who need a boost toward self realization. Our volunteers enrich Israeli society and in so doing are themselves enriched. We welcome all newcomers to our ranks.
How it started: Witnessing a major wave of immigration in 1990, ESRA decided to initiate projects aimed at helping new immigrants and to this end began raising money for the ESRA Immigrant Fund. As activities expanded to include help for other needy sectors of society, the fund was renamed the ESRA Community Fund or ECF.
What we've accomplished: Over 20,000 immigrant and disadvantaged families have been assisted by ECF projects aimed at education, welfare and employment. Below is a list of our current community projects. To read more about a particular project, click on the orange heading.
Support a Project:If you would like to donate to any of these projects, please click on this link .
| Projects | |
|---|---|
| 'Bayit Cham' Clubhouses for Girls | Two clubhouses in Netanya and Herzliya creating a 'home away from home' in the afternoons for 13-17 year old girls at risk, offering a safe, warm environment of social and counselling activities. |
| 'NEARLY NEW' Second Hand Shops | Donations of clothes and equipment enable hundreds of bargain shoppers to buy quality items at lost cost. Items are also given to needy families and children in hospitals. |
| Afternoon Kindergarten | Offers pre-school children at risk a warm, supportive and caring environment daily. |
| Crisis Welfare Assistance - ESRA’s helping hand to those in need in the community. | To assist immigrants from distressed countries and other persons in need who find themselves in temporary crisis due to health, unemployment or other difficulties and who can benefit from financial help. From June 2011 this fund also includes Breast Cancer Emergency Relief. This aid, though the amount is not large, often enables the individual or family to overcome their immediate problem. |
| Dance Centre for Excellence | Discovers the talent in these wonderful Ethiopian children, encourages excellence in the arts and helps develop personal and community self-confidence, self-esteem and pride. |
| Ethiopian Embroidery Project | Beautiful, ethnic embroidery by skilled craftsmen and women done right in their homes - enabling them to supplement their income while caring for their families. |
| Hand in Hand Food Pantry | The mitzva of supplying food packages to distressed and handicapped families in South Netanya Neighbourhoods. |
| Hefzibah Community Projects, Netanya | Volunteers run several non-funded projects in the Hefzibah Community in addition to, and as a result of, the Students Build a Neighbourhood Project. |
| Nativ After School Center for Special Needs Children | A warm and caring afternoon program for children with severe emotional and behavioural problems. |
| Neighborhood Computer Centers | Innovative teaching of computer skills to underprivileged children, youth and adults |