As in Operation “Pillar of Defense” in 2012, also in Operation “Protective Edge” Tor Hamidbar operated the emergency center for Neighborhoods Gimel and Dalet in Be'er Sheva.

 

We worked in collaboration with the department for community service, and our activities included:

 

-  Mapping and helping with the needs of residents or directing them to relevant authorities: the volunteers went from house to house to talk with residents and understand the different needs. We gave information about the different aid centers such as the municipal trauma center. In addition, our volunteers helped to make home-deliveries of groceries and directed those in need to the municipal medicine forum.

 

-  Running activities for neighborhood children in shelters: our volunteers ran activities for children whose summer day-camps were cancelled and were confined to their homes. Our volunteers held two-hour activities in shelters for groups of children, and gave a course to workers of Kivunim about how to conduct activities for children who live in multi-story buildings.

 

-  Utilizing shelters in public housing:  To prepare the shelters after years of neglect, our volunteers cleared trash, cleaned the dust and if needed turned to the municipality for help with bad electricity or problems with plumbing.

 

- Home visits to the elderly and people with disabilities: These visits were made in order to ease their loneliness, provide company, reduce anxiety, and aid with directing them to different authorities in emergency such as the trauma center, social workers, etc.

 

- Tasks from the municipality: We were ready to help with any need that could arise from the municipality and which we could answer with our volunteers such as home visits, visiting people with disabilities, shelters for women, etc.

 

Of course, even though Café Ringelbloom did not operate, we continued our occupational-social program with at risk youth of the café. Our social worker, kept in touch with all of our youth through home visits. We built an educational and relief program that focuses on anxiety, helping the youths become figures of strength and support in their families, and did everything to continue the progress of the youth despite the situation.

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To support, please click the "donate" button at the top of the page.

to help support the Café youth, please email event@ringelblum.com, or go onto our Café Ringelblum page.

 

We would be grateful for any support, and are thankful that you keep us,

residents of the south, in your minds and hearts. 

 

Please see our facebook page for more pictures: https://www.facebook.com/TorHaMidbar