13 Aug
Goodwill in the Emek, Uncategorized

Gil Oz

The Gil Oz Association in Emek HaMa’ayanot is a well-known, long-standing establishment in the Emek. It serves as a warm home and meeting place of activity for seniors in the region and provides an extensive range of pastimes covering a variety of interests for people over 60 years old and their families. Participants volunteer throughout the year at the Gil Oz Day Center providing individual attention to the seniors, teaching groups that meet regularly, and assisting staff in the operations of the home. They all take part in the main organized events, lead community sing-along evenings, and contribute to the various extra-curricular activities.

A Mechina participant describes her unique relationship with the Emek seniors at Gil Oz:

“Gil Oz is about meeting my ride at the bus stop on Wednesdays, where my volunteering immediately begins by greeting the seniors who are on the ride with me, and chatting about how they’re doing. On arrival at the Center, the moment I step inside I already feel at home with the wonderful Hadar and Ahuva who are constantly at work there, and always welcome you lovingly, not to mention every senior person, who greets you with a “Good Morning” or “How wonderful to see you again”. Our volunteering includes working with the seniors in baking workshops, ceramics, arts and crafts, papier-mâché, and playing board games. We assist them on computers, participate with them in a variety of activities on the festivals, listen to their fascinating personal stories, and create deep connections with them and the staff. In Gil Oz a new, unfamiliar world opens up to you, people in an older age range. You are exposed to events and connections that you never knew existed, and most of all you learn so much. Volunteering was an anchor for me this year. I would wait all week especially for Wednesday to come round; whether I’d chat with Batya about her week during the coffee break, or learn the weekly Torah portion with Yitzchak on the computer, play rummy with Rivka, or bake with Ruti. Gil Oz is not only a place to volunteer, but a warm and loving home; a second family that I acquired this year.”

13 Aug
Goodwill in the Emek, Uncategorized

The Bikura School

On the Mechina’s weekly volunteer day, participants arrive at the school to give one-on-one tutoring to students with learning disabilities, supervised by the educational staff. Every student is acknowledged, and a point is made of their presence, since the school has only one class for each year, creating a warm and comfortable family atmosphere. This exceptional work exposes the Mechina participants to a school environment, unlike what they’ve always been familiar with. In addition, they learn a new cultural language and take on new challenges. By the end of the year special connections have developed between the children and Mechina members and we notice remarkable improvements in the students’ performance and their daily behavior.

A member of the Mechina summarizes the year of volunteer work at the school:

“During the course of the year, I learned how to not give up on any child; I learned how to be patient with the children, how to recognize unusual reactions at different events, and I especially learned how every one of the students is a special world of their own in their inherent uniqueness. The administrative staff and the teachers taught us how to maintain our high expectations, not to give up, and to find the source of motivation and belief in every student throughout. I learned that even if I sometimes feel I’m not making a difference to the children – every little thing done together with them does eventually become meaningful for them.
I learned how important it is to be a role model but ultimately it is the personal interest and interaction that help them cope with their lives and manage all their daily difficulties at school and at home. Now, after having completed my last session at the school, I understand how special this place is for me. “

13 Aug
Goodwill in the Emek, Uncategorized

On the Emek Trail – A Community Project

A new and valuable project for Emek HaMa’ayanot was initiated by participants in the Mechina program’s third year. The decision was to create a new trail that would lead through the settlements, historical sites, springs, and cover the valley’s most charming and magical little corners. The trail is called “The Emek Trail.” Since then, it has served as a platform for numerous educational activities and is promoted in partnership with Chivruta, the Emek HaMa’ayanot Regional Council and The Emek HaMa’ayanot Economic Association, The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, The Drainage Authority, and The Israel Trails Committee. Despite extensive progress, it seems that the project’s potential has not yet been fully realized. To this end, Chivruta has established a new educational program called “On the Emek Trail.” The central aim of this program, which operates in agreement with the various Emek communities, is to create a joint narrative for children and youth comprising intriguing personal stories, as well as tales of the community and captivating accounts of the region at large. The program embodies the desire to inspire a deep, heartfelt connection between the local communities, especially between the children and youth, and instill a sense of belonging and pride in our magnificent Emek, to develop a flourishing community educationally and socially, through love for the Land, familiarity with the “other,” and bringing the communities on board with the project.

We see a need, but also a tremendous opportunity to promote the meeting of youth from the peripheral area with the physical and human landscapes surrounding them. Strengthening the sense of belonging in the community and the region constitutes a huge resource for developing meaningfulness, belonging, and commitment for the youth and their connection to the community, thereby mutually strengthening the growth and resilience of the community.

In practice, the goal is that every one of the children from the Emek, from kindergarten until the end of high school, will have experienced the entire trail, be it by hiking, volunteering, navigating, guiding groups, taking part in a Bar/Bat Mitzva trip, accommodating people with special needs, and more. The project can be adapted for each settlement according to the needs and abilities of the community.

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