Newsletter for April May 2017
Shalom, I am pleased to send the 5-2017 Newsletter of the association, reviewing the last month.
I will appreciate to get your feedback.
Happy and kosher Pesach !
Mendi
In 2013, the association launched in the Haifa Hostel a center dedicated to provide weekend and short vacation recreations for children with special needs. Sometimes the events take place for the entire families. The complete facility was specially designed to be easily accessible also by wheelchairs. The city of Haifa allocated this building to the Yad LaYeled Hameyuchad association for this purpose. Thanks to the generous donation of Mr. Chezi Shabbat and his family, the deliberate renovation could be facilitated. Therefore the building is dedicated to Chezi’s parents Carmela and Avraham Shabbat Z”L (blessed be their memory). The cost of the project was over one million NIS.
The Hostel has now 5 fully furnished dormitory rooms with 25 beds, a larger room for social activities, a fully equipped kitchen, a dining room and a library. A “Gymboree” in-house playground is under construction. Outside in the front yard of the building an open space playground of about 120 square yards with lawn, and a pergola which provides a pleasant sitting area. Parents and coaching volunteers can watch over the kids comfortably.
Each weekend the Yad LaLeyeled HaMeyuchad – "Lend a Hand to the Special Child" – Recreation Center at the Haifa Hostel named in memory of Carmela and Avraham Shabbat holds fun days for children with autism, other syndromes or severe intellectual disabilities. This recreation framework enables the parents to have time for errands, rest and to spend time with other family members like the siblings of the disabled children. This getaway enables the family to gather new energies to cope with the regular daily challenges.
The children are transported to the event by bus, provided by the association. They are accompanied by a large team of warm and affectionate volunteers from the time the children leave their homes until they return. Financial support is provided to families with economic difficulties. The association cooperates with the Ministry of welfare & Social Services, the department of rehabilitation and services for people with mental and/or developmental disabilities. Children recognized by this government department are entitled to subsidies covering the weekend getaways. The association advises and assists the recipient families how to submit the required forms in their respective municipality.
During the summer vacation and during holidays like Sukkot, Hanukkah and Passover, the Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad – “Lend a Hand to the Special Child” – Recreation Center at the Haifa Hostel holds camps for children with special needs. This project provides their parents and families a few days of rest and relaxation, knowing that their children are well cared for and enjoying fun activities especially designated for them.
The camps operate in cycles of 3-5 days, each cycle catering up to 10 children with 15 counsellors and other staff.
The children enjoy field trips and various other activities including creative workshops. This way the children are not lonely at home, but enjoy social interaction and gain new experiences.
Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad – "Lend a Hand to the Special Child" association offers through the Haifa Recreation Center a special hosting service. During the week, families with their children, who have special needs, are hosted at a family hotel to rest and replenish their energies and enjoy quality family time.
The stay only covers accommodations, however all the rooms come with fully equipped kitchens for the use of the vacationers. There is a variety of sites and attractions in the area that the entire family can enjoy.
In the framework of contributing to the community the “Yad LaYeled Hameyuchad” association connects students from all over Israel with children with special needs who live in their vicinity. The coaching student spends quality time with the child. All students specialize in the field of special education, so they have the professional tools to use the two hours to promote the child.
The coaching provided by the project includes a weekly meeting of two hours in which each student takes a child for various activities such as going to a nearby park to play together or visiting a shopping mall. The activities with the coaching student take place outside home in order to enrich the child with new interesting social experiences. Some activities take place at the Haifa Hostel facility of the association. This service enables the parents to have the time for errands, for rest, and to spend quality time with other family members.
The coaching instructors are students for BA or MA at recognized institutions of higher learning, who study fields related to special needs such as teachers for special education, social workers, paramedics etc. The association organizes professional workshops for the students where they can exchange experiences with each other.
Over the years of coaching, this close cooperation has often evolved into friendships between the students and the children, which continue long after the period of the formal coaching.
The Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad, "Lend a Hand to the Special Child", association was established in 2004 by a group of parents of children with special needs who believed that by joining forces they can provide their children with the tools necessary for dealing with their difficulties and disabilities so that their children may achieve growth, quality of life and happiness as much as possible and be integrated in the family and in society.
Over the years, we developed progressive, qualitative services and projects for children and youths with various disabilities, all this thanks to an array of thousands of volunteers countrywide.
We believe that a full partnership in the community coupled with a better quality of life promotes the independence of persons with disabilities and their integration in society.
Based on this concept, we act to integrate hundreds of young people with special needs in the IDF under the Special in Uniform Project. This is the greatest gift for these youngsters that leads them to an independent life with minimal dependence on family and community.
Thousands of families in Israel, from all walks of life, enjoy the variety of services Yad LaYeled HaMeyuchad offers thanks to the volunteers, private donors and charities.
We are present each and every day to fulfill the dreams of the association’s founders and to prove that a special child in the family, as challenging as it may be, is also an opportunity for empowerment of the entire family and of society in general.