Dear Friends and Partners,
Every year we get different donations from you, for "Over & Above" projects, projects operated in the region alongside the partnership. We decided to dedicate this newsletter to current O&A programs, to share with you the wonderful projects that SNEC communities helped us to fund. Thank you all for your generosity; it is your help that made a great difference in our community.
The Rogoff Fund (Westport-Weston-Wilton-Norwalk)
The Rogoff Fund allocation is divided into 8 projects that began their activities in October 2007. This contribution gave community centers the opportunity to provide activities for hundreds of children, young people and adults, new immigrants and veteran Israelis from throughout Afula and the Gilboa region.
The programs currently funded by Rogoff are:
WIZO Community Center Projects- "We Can Do It Too"
The goal of the program is to address difficulties encountered by youths within a regular and organized framework that accommodates and accepts girls at risk and works towards empowering them personally as well as reinforcing their sense of belonging, identity and group comradeship. The framework operates with the assistance of professionals in the social and therapeutic field.
Gvanim Remedial Study Center for 1-4 Grades
Approximately 40 children from 1st to 4th grade classes (from Gvanim school and others) roam about outside while their parents are taking part in the activities at the Gvanim Center with their younger siblings. These children can't be left unattended at home and during wet weather they "engage" in the activities of their younger siblings and are a disturbance and distraction to both parents and the staff. This program addresses the need to keep the older siblings occupied, as well as provides them with homework assistance and enrichment activities.
Gvanim Preschool and Parenting Center for the Ethiopian Community
The goal of the program is to create equal opportunities for Ethiopian community children in Afula when entering school through the acquisition of learning skills and basic knowledge; strengthening and improving of communication between parents and their children, enrichment, strengthening parents and fostering active community leadership in the community for their benefit
WIZO Community Center Remedial Study Center
The center lends support to students who come from financially deprived families and also from new immigrant families. This support for the children assists them both in learning and emotional and also reinforces important contacts between parents and the school.
The center holds two hour sessions twice each week. The center has a professional teacher as well as a team of National Service girls, immigrant students and teenage volunteers. At the center the children receive help in preparing homework for school and they also participate in social and enrichment activities.
Neighborhood Youth Center
The center serves as a warm, enriching and supportive environment for the underprivileged youths living in this deprived neighborhood as well as in greater Afula. It helps get the children off the street with its inherent dangers and to integrate them within the WIZO Community Center, where they enjoy educational, experiential and enriching activities.
By subsidizing all existing activities it is possible to reduce the participation fees for activities and for programs, allowing more underprivileged youths to participate.
Afula Community Centers Projects
Hi-tech Program for Ethiopian Children
Since Ethiopian children suffer from a serious lack of enrichment and a supportive cultural environment, in a world that is heavily hi-tech, it is important that we expose the children to this world as early as possible. The weekly meetings at the Community Center are led by a professional
instructor. The children work in the computer center, learning how to safely surf the Web and build Internet sites. They are also exposed to the foundations of the world of nature and unique technologies such as robotics, conduct experiments and building models.
Beit Posnack Preschool Playground
Project rationale: A group of 15 toddlers ages 2-3 from the Ethiopian Community participates in an educational framework operated by the Beit Posnack Community Center in the Givat Moreh neighborhood of Afula. The pre-school framework known as "Kat Gan" is maintained by a trained kindergarten teacher and a teaching assistant from the Ethiopian community. The kindergarten is open five days a week (Sunday-Thursday) from 8AM to 1PM. Once a month, a parenting workshop is conducted in collaboration with public health nurses or psychologists.
The goal is to purchase new playground equipment, awnings to provide shade and to construct a higher fence in order to protect the area.
Sparks Of Science (Stamford CT)
The goal of Sparks Of Science is to develop talents and scientific potential of young people from the Ethiopian community, to improve their chances to successfully complete matriculation exams, to be accepted by prestigious institutions of higher education, to get academic degrees in the areas of high-tech and sciences and to be integrated into advanced industries work force.
Security Cameras (Westport-Weston-Wilton-Norwalk)
Five schools in Afula are the grateful recipients of a CCTV system that was made possible through a generous donation. The cameras will be connected to a central command post for recording and monitoring.
"Neighbors" Women's Forum
The goal of the program is to address a very acute need to enhance the coexistence between Jewish women from the FSU and Ethiopia who live side by side in the Afula Illit and Givat HaMoreh neighborhoods, but in fact have no interaction between them due to the cultural differences.
This program operates two women's clubs:
The first club meets at the "Beit Eshkol" Community Center (Afula Illit) once a week with a group of 40 women participating.
The second club meets at the "Beit Posnack" Community Center (Givat HaMoreh) once every two weeks with a group of 20 participating.
YVC Scholarships (Central MA)
The scholarship contribution afforded us the chance to help eight students from Yizreel Valley College fund their college tuition in 2007-2008 in return for community service, among them current P2K projects. These projects include dog training/drug prevention, providing remedial assistance and counseling to young children within the framework of the "Yaniv Initiative" and a photography course for young cancer survivors who are currently hospitalized at the Emek Medical Center. Until now, we have only heard wonderful things.
Security Guard for Magen Shaul (Westport-Weston-Wilton-Norwalk)
An additional donation was presented to the region to fund a nighttime security guard for the border community of Magen Shaul. Because of its precarious location, on the Seam Line and close to the security fence opposite the Palestinian city of Jenin, the community has suffered extensively from theft and fear of terrorist attacks. Now thankful residents can sleep peacefully at night knowing that someone is patrolling their community through the night.
Dental Health Project (Western CT)
The dental health project is intended for all kindergarten and elementary school children in Afula, the Gilboa region and Bustan El Marj. Within the framework of this wonderful program, the children receive two classroom lessons concerning dental care and hygiene and even receive a dental hygiene kit as a gift from the project's sponsors. The training sessions are scheduled to begin in the coming days.
Yoga (Western CT)
This unique contribution was received from yoga enthusiasts who want to grant the people of our region the experience that they feel through yoga training. For a long time now, the Community Centers in Afula have wanted to open a yoga-training program for the city's residents; however, because of economic constraints many residents could not afford this activity, resulting in insufficient registrations.
Following this generous contribution to develop a yoga-training program, the community centers have now opened their fifth consecutive group. Courses are also provided to children suffering from mental retardation and women cancer survivors, overall a tremendous success and a very special contribution.
Bomb Shelters (Western CT)
Recently 17 air-conditioning units were contributed for shelters in 16 various communities throughout the Gilboa region through this generous assistance. These shelters serve the communities residents during quiet days as well as wartime.
In addition, 10 shelters in Afula were renovated and restored to active use. These shelters now serve the city's adults and young people for a variety of activities.
Finally, a school bomb shelter in Bustan El Marj regional council (adjacent to Afula) was equipped with an air conditioner and 4 computers for the use and benefit of the students.