ELI: Israel Association for Child Protection

Description of Organization:

ELI’s mission is to protect Israel’s children and break the intergenerational cycle of abuse through a broad spectrum of services, including crisis intervention, emergency hot line, therapy, prevention programs in schools, professional education, and community awareness.
To advance this mission and have maximal impact, ELI offers services at a single point-of-entry, creating a large safety net that reduces the possibility of clients’ missing potential benefits. ELI tailors services to meet the cultural diversity within Israel, thus working with Arab, Ethiopian and other new immigrant communities, Ultra-Orthodox, special-needs populations and others. The organization provides therapy in a user-friendly manner, through a satellite system of therapists who cover a wide geographic area plus a mobile therapy unit which travels to wherever it is needed. ELI importantly invests in preventive education that includes teaching parenting skills in order to break the intergenerational cycle of abuse.
In the past year, ELI provided therapy to 4,000 children, in addition to thousands more parents and siblings, and handled 7,200 calls from abused children and/or families. No other agency in Israel focuses solely and specifically on the unique issues and methodologies for preventing and treating child abuse.

Bnai Mitzvah Projects or Volunteer Opportunities offered by the organization for children ages 11 - 13:

ELI would welcome families to come to Israel to see their renowned school based prevention programs in action. The centerpiece of the program is a play or musical, and although it is of course in Hebrew, it is very engaging and an ELI staff member would help translate. Due to privacy concerns, meeting with abused children would not be possible. However, families could get a tour of ELI’s facilities and meet with the highly trained therapists, including at the Safe House where parents in danger of having their children removed from home learn safe parenting techniques and get mentoring and other assistance. Back in the States, ELI would be happy to have Bar and Bat Mitzvah children raise money for its important programs to help abused children and for specialized equipment (dolls, art supplies and toys) that are used in therapy. In addition, a project of making feely hearts or something similar would be a nice idea, as they could be put in the waiting room where children wait for their therapy appointments. This could help brighten the day of an abused child. Other suggestions are welcome!

Minimum Age to Volunteer:

none

Offer family volunteer opportunities?

yes