Big Brothers Big Sisters of Israel continually recruits and trains new volunteer mentors so that lonely children from single-parent families will be assured of a Big Brother or Sister. Their goal is not just to create matches but to have these pairs stay together for years and BBBS provides the necessary support to do so. The kids are ages 5 to 18 and the volunteers are from 10 to 60. Lots of time is spent on making the proper match. There is a police check, orientation and supervision for the first meeting. The volunteers want help in providing social experiences with the kids. HOT has made grants to subsidize activities, reimburse Big Brothers and Big Sisters for out of pocket expenses, and to fill a Personal Assistance Fund that helps some of the more destitute children go to After School Enrichment Programs and a few weeks of Summer Camp.
The Israeli government gives more funding to organizations that are nationwide (rather than in just one or two cities), so HOT recently made a challenge grant committing to put up $12,500 for half of a social worker to supervise the program in Ramat HaSharon, if the municipality would put up $12,500. This is another example of HOT leveraging its donors’ investments. Read the Spring/Summer 2012 edition of the HOT News to see if we accomplished our dual goals of expanding this worthwhile program to Ramat HaSharon and helped Big Brothers Big Sisters of Israel to get Israeli government funding.
The economy has taken its toll on many of the volunteers and HOT would like its donors to designate:
- $5,000 for a Personal Assistance Fund for children from very poor homes
- $2,500 to reimburse volunteers for out-of-pocket expenses
- $2,200 to pay for 25 pairs (child and big brother or big sister) to go to an Ecological Park
- $1,500 to pay for 25 pairs to go to a Coca Cola Bottling Plant
- $1,300 for chairs for the Game Room in the Jerusalem Clubhouse
- $600 for 20 pairs to spend a day at the pool with a picnic lunch