The Power of Volunteers

Volunteers are integral partners in contributing to the impact of all Kol Israel Haverim's educational programs. A new partnership has recently been formed, led by Hila Levy, between the Tikkun Olam organization that runs programs for youth volunteers in Israel and Kol Israel Haverim. Five Tikkun Olam volunteers chose to volunteer in Mikve Israel.
Samantha, one of the volunteers, decided to contribute her skills to Mikve's religious school, while Lea chose to tutor pupils in English and divide her time between Shaar's Cracking the Glass Ceiling program for girls during the mornings and the general school during her afternoons. Ilan, Lindsay and Sasha joined them, committing all their time to supporting students in after-school programs. Ilan, who mentioned that his parents had been raised in Holon, is aware of the difficulties many children face in qualifying for matriculation certificates because of their poor English. "This is a nice place", he says about the Mikve Israel day center. "Kids can come here and discover their potential, and we can open the way for them".
Rinat Cohen, in charge of the volunteer program at Shaar – Kol Israel Haverim, explains that the objective is now to spread the word. "We need volunteers to take on various responsibilities, and mainly to be role models for the children, to be big brothers and sisters – something they need for a better future. We hope that this is the start of a long-term collaboration, through which we will be able to help more children during the mornings as well as the afternoons".