Carmei Ha'ir, a registered non-profit organization in Israel and in the US, was founded in 2004 in response to the sharp rise in the number of Israeli citizens living below the poverty line. Carmei Ha'ir's mission is to restore our clients' self-esteem as we provide for their basic needs, thereby helping them to free themselves from the vicious cycle of poverty.
Carmei Ha’Ir was established with the goal of removing the shame from receiving assistance, offering our clients the physical and emotional assistance they need to weather their present difficulties and build their future. Carmei Ha’Ir partners with social workers, schools, and the Ministry of Welfare to identify potential clients and respond to their many poverty-related needs. Five days a week our cooks prepare approximately 1000 hot meals. Approximately 180 families depend on us for clothing, 400 for weekly food baskets, 3,000 for holiday baskets and 1,800 for winter supplies.
Target population includes lone soldiers, indigent Holocaust survivors and elderly, the unemployed, the handicapped, new immigrants, single-parent families and families in crisis. Our two-story restaurant is situated in the heart of Jerusalem near the Machane Yehuda Marketplace. All who walk into the restaurant - unmarked by any sign other than our name –are seated at a set table with real dishes and silverware, cold soft drinks and fresh pitas. The meal consists of soup, a choice of protein (meat, fish or vegetarian), vegetables, and a carbohydrate. The restaurant is set up such that business lunches take place beside families eating their one hot meal of the day - with no one marked as receiving a free meal. This allows those who could not bring themselves to eat in a soup kitchen to maintain both their anonymity and their dignity.
Carmei Ha'Ir's clothing store features new stylish clothing and accessories, coats and shoes for women, men and children on welfare.
While most participants come to our downtown location, Carmei Ha'Ir delivers dozens of meals daily to incapacitated and elderly people who find it difficult or impossible to make the trip to our premises. 550 indigent Holocaust survivors living in hostels exclusively on small government stipends receive daily meals, holiday needs, full-day excursions, clothing and winter supplies.
In the near future…..
A few months ago we were given the opportunity to purchase the remaining two floors above the two floors that now house Carmei Ha’ir headquarters. We have just completed the payments, and now the entire building will facilitate humanitarian projects.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION:
This capital project will alleviate poverty through renovation of the kitchen facility, tripling our current capacity to serve and deliver meals. There will be added space in the clothing store to accommodate additional sizes and a variety of garments for welfare recipients of all ages. Affordable housing and daycare center for Holocaust survivors are slated for these two floors.
Want more information from: Carmei Ha'ir?
