In this summer of ‘mom camp’, where volunteering became a theme last week, I want to share another kid-friendly volunteer opportunity, this time in the Jerusalem area.
Where else but on Facebook did I learn about a brand new initiative from Tenufa: Shop Till You Drop. I highly recommend and want to add that the second event of its kind will be held in Talpiot the Wednesday, August 10th. Read on to find out more…
Tenufa is an Israeli non-profit organization, which helps change the lives of Israelis living in poverty, in 7 cities across Israel. Our highly trained professional staff provides critical repairs that range from repairing leaky roofs and moldy inner walls to replacing broken kitchens and electrical systems, at no cost to the families. While our professional repairmen repair the homes we bring in Social Workers to help the family face their challenges; thus our intervention becomes a means to repairing the family.
We participated last Wednesday, the first time they had done the supermarket shopping event. The activity was essentially built for kids to get involved in a very familiar chessed: providing food and household necessities for individuals and families Tenufa has worked with on their home renovation.
Families meet a Tenufa representative at Osher Ad, a major Israeli supermarket chain (or, the ‘Israeli Costco’), and receive a shopping list designed for a specific family who, with one week’s shop taken care of, really gain a lift. Based on the amount the family is willing to spend, they shop for their list around the store, crossing off items and, if deemed appropriate by an accompanying social worker, add on a special item or two.
The activity was totally appropriate for my 7 and 5 year old, who could identify the items by either reading or looking at the printed pictures on the list. They spoke to the reps and learned about what kind of kindness this was and how it was a help to people who needed it.
It went by a little quick, but the kids totally got into it and were excited to be in a supermarket (always, for some reason, a carnival) and to be helping a family nearby.
The second half of the program is joining the social worker to actually deliver the shop. We left the packages outside the door, and the social worker, who the family knows, was in touch with the family directly about taking it in after we left.
To get in touch with Rena, the representative in charge of the program, contact her here.
Whadya got: