Too many needy Israeli individuals and families live in shameful conditions, lacking basic amenities for the home and even bare essentials like a bed, refrigerator, table and chairs, stove, or a baby carriage. With the poverty rate in Israel currently standing at 20%, thousands of people struggle to furnish their homes with even the most basic of necessities.
To meet this need, Meir Panim’s “Koach Latet” Power of Giving (POG) warehouses collect second-hand equipment donated by Israeli citizens, including furniture, household electrical appliances, clothes, etc. for distribution to needy individuals. POG collects the donations directly from the benefactor’s homes with its delivery trucks and brings the equipment to the network's branches throughout the country. The equipment is repaired, cleaned, and catalogued, and hundreds of volunteers distribute them to the needy, new immigrants and lone soldiers.
Needy individuals receive referrals to visit POG’s centers from local Welfare and Absorption services. They choose the products that they need for their homes, pay a token fee and their “purchases” are promptly delivered to their homes by POG’s delivery trucks.
Recipients include victims of terror attacks trying to rebuild their lives, lone soldiers who came to Israel on their own to serve in the IDF, new immigrants, the elderly and handicapped, and thousands of needy students who receive backpacks and school supplies via POG’s associated programs.
POG works in cooperation with the municipal welfare services, government offices, and the army. There are currently 9 warehouses strategically located in distressed cities throughout Israel.
Power of Giving Centers offer hands-on vocational training courses providing students with marketable skills in a variety of fields ranging from computers and electronics to carpentry and shoe making. This enables them to obtain profitable employment, achieve financial independence, and regain personal dignity.
Recognizing the educational value of the social welfare work performed by POG, the IDF regularly sends its units to volunteer at the 9 POG centers currently located statewide. The soldiers help sort, clean, and repair the donated equipment.
Associated Projects operated by Power of Giving:
- Winter Kit Distribution
In preparation for winter, POG prepares Winter Kits, including a radiator and feather quilt, to be distributed in coordination with Welfare and Absorption Services to the elderly and the homebound. This service guarantees proper protection for the elderly during Israel's cold winters, and safeguards their fragile health when they are the most vulnerable.
- Student Kit Distribution
Power of Giving distributes new school bags, containing a pencil case, writing materials, notebooks, binders, etc. to needy students after receiving a referral from the Welfare or Absorption Ministries. Approximately 4,000 school bags are distributed yearly.
- Assistance to Lone Soldiers
Power of Giving, in cooperation with IDF, furnishes apartments for lone soldiers – soldiers that have immigrated to Israel without their families. Israel has many such soldiers who left their countries of origin and their families to serve in the IDF. POG is informed by Welfare and Absorption officers that many live in severe deprivation, as the salary they receive through the army is far below minimum wage. POG comes to their assistance by furnishing their apartments with new furniture, or secondhand furniture in good condition.
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