Imagine going through life with little hope for the future?
This was the feeling expressed by 17 year old Rahel (whose name we have changed to protect her anonymity). Her deep rings around her eyes and pale pallor indicated her lack of restful sleep, poor nutrition and drug use. We met her in the bomb shelter in Gan Meir in Tel Aviv during her first visit to the ELEM sponsored Hafuch Al Hafuch drop-in café. Would you join us to help Rahel?
TO READ MORE ABOUT RAHEL - CLICK HERE
There is a crisis in Israel that threatens the very core of the country: the relentless ongoing stress faced by Israeli youth and the heavy toll it takes. Today, fully one third of Jewish and Arab youth in Israel are overwhelmed by what has become every day life – missile attacks, immigration problems including bullying and prejudiced and terror threat. The effects are catastrophic. Approximately 32,000 Israeli children drop out of school each year. Another 8,000 will resort to homelessness, crime and prostitution and a recent report shows a sharp increase in teen drug abuse.
ELEM – Youth in Distress in Israel treats youth who are not being treated by existing social services and have fallen through the cracks in Israeli society. They runaway or are kicked out of their home, leave school, get involved with drugs and generally drop out of society. We provide highly effective, innovative treatment, mentoring and vocational services throughout Israel that has turned around the lives of thousands of troubled Israeli youth.
ELEM was founded in 1982 by a group of American and Israeli professionals and lay volunteers to help Israel’s population of troubled youth become productive citizens. Read More...
ELEM’s volunteers are absolutely integral to every part of the organization’s functioning.
There are 800,000 youth between the ages of 12 and 18 in Israel, a quarter of whom are living in various levels of risk. With your help, ELEM will expand the services we offer resulting in even more troubled teens getting the help they need. Read More...