"Doing good to people brings a smile": Volunteer Day kicks off Israel today

The Friendship Foundation's volunteer project connected Zina Lupo (82), Edda Kaufman (86) and Daly Gittel (86) about five years ago.

Since then they have become close friends.

"There are so many things that connect us," says Xena.

"The three of us were widows, we grew up in the USSR, we survived the Holocaust and we always dreamed of coming to Israel.

Fate has brought us together, and since then we have not been able to be separated.

We share the happy moments and the sad memories together. "

Although the three receive support from the foundation as part of the "Respect and Friendship" program, they are not content with just getting help - and helping other seniors.

They come to the office twice a week and make about 40 phone calls to seniors who receive assistance from the foundation.

Edda: "Just hearing the excitement on the other end of the line, when I call to congratulate him on his birthday or just be interested in his well-being, is worth it all. There are so many lonely seniors who have no one, that the foundation helps dispel their loneliness. There is such a caring attitude towards the elderly. "

Xena: "I was among the first volunteers to join the program. I always look forward to the days when I volunteer. It makes me feel good in my heart to know that I help people who have almost no one."

Aquarius: "I know there are a lot of seniors who are alone. The conversations help to alleviate even a little bit of their loneliness."

"The place is like family"

"For me, volunteering is everything in life," says Fruma Hanetz, 73, from Karmiel, who volunteers in packaging and food distribution, as well as in the municipality working with the elderly. "It makes me smile to do good to people."

Fruma is the proof that one does not always have to be very rich to contribute, and that anyone who really wants to can do so for the sake of others.

Fruma immigrated to Israel from Moldova with her husband, two daughters and her first granddaughter 31 years ago.

In her homeland she worked as an accountant, and when she came to Israel, she faced language and absorption difficulties and had to work by hand.

In the morning she was a stair cleaner, in the afternoon she worked in a dining room and at night she worked in cleaning offices.

Fruma Hanetz, Photo: Yoram Cohen

A shake-up that befell the family following the family's illness led Fruma to seek help from the Pethon Lev organization and receive a food basket from the aid center in Carmiel.

But she decided to help back, and at the same time began volunteering for the needy in distributing the food baskets.

Since then she usually comes at least once a week, packs, collects and distributes the food baskets to the needy and works from morning to night in the activity.

"For me the place is like family," she says, "during the closures I had a very hard time because I was home alone, but it warmed my heart that people would bring me food and things to the door. But what I had the hardest was not being able to volunteer."

Fruma even fell ill in Corona, recovering: "I just wanted to recover in order to meet everyone again, I was excited to return."

"Loves to meet the younger generation"

Over the years Eti Bend from Givat Shmuel has always had two loves: children and also the field of writing and literature.

Later she even wrote and edited in the Bnei Akiva magazine.

Naturally, when she started volunteering, she turned to a field that connects her two loves - in the "Reading in a Beautiful" project of the Shalam movement from the Society for Community Centers.

In this framework, Etty comes to schools once a week and reads stories to children.

"The children listen, have fun, ask questions," she says, "it's not just reading the stories, but much beyond. I like to surprise the children, dramatize and illustrate the story for them, draw the characters with them and give them an experience that accompanies them all the way."

Etty Band, Photo: Coco

She says volunteering makes her feel younger: "It's good to meet the younger generation, for me it's like getting older. I feel like I'm doing something not just for myself but for others. I leave satisfied and very happy. It's an opportunity to meet the younger generation. And to invest in them as well, in addition to my grandchildren. "

Etty, who is already an old grandmother, had a new grandchild from her youngest daughter a year ago.

Following this, she took out of the drawer the book of songs she had written about 20 years ago and decided to publish it, and soon her first book for children will be published.

Furthermore, Etty, who has studied emotional coaching and diagnosis for children, assists Lil Dim in school who need emotional support individually.

"I really like to pay attention to every child, to help him on an emotional level, to give him an envelope, to believe in every child. He does not know himself yet and neither do we always."

Were we wrong?

Fixed!

If you found an error in the article, we'll be happy for you to share it with us