Sderot newcomers under attack
As the situation in Sderot deteriorated this past week, SELAH, the Israel Crisis Management Center mobilizes a team to offer help to the community's immigrant residents
In response, SELAH, the Israel Crisis Management Center mobilized its volunteer network to help the over 100 new immigrants who made the town their home.
SELAH's trained volunteers were sent to assist the traumatized individuals, pay visits to the wounded in local hospitals, and visits the homes of Sderot’s Russian and Ethiopian immigrant families to provide them with emotional and practical support; offering meals, financial assistance, and a place to sleep until government support arrives.
Wounded Russian immigrant with ICMC's volunteer social worker
“We have been working closely with many families in Sderot for several years and have become a lifeline for many of them during these difficult times,” said SELAH's Executive Director Ruth Bar-On. “One cannot imagine the physical and emotional impact on residents from this constant bombardment.”
This is not the first time, SELAH's volunteers act in a crisis; during the Second Lebanon War, the network assisted more than 1,000 new immigrants of Israel's northern communities.
SELAH is the only countrywide volunteer network of assistance and support for new immigrants hit by sudden crisis, terror or tragedy. It functions as a safety net for newcomers who can not relay on the support of family and friends. Since its launch in 1993, SELAH has helped over 16,000 new immigrants.
To find out how you can help - click here
