Twenty-two Ukrainian teens who have escaped the war are finding safety and refuge at Yemin Orde, Israel’s home for at-risk and immigrant youth from around the world. Many of them came by themselves, while their parents stayed in Ukraine. Most are children of divorced parents, and many are severely traumatized. They are lucky to be at Yemin Orde whose mission for nearly 70 years has been to work with this type of population, saving and lifting lives in what they call “The Village Way.”
Support for these Ukrainian teens centers on immediate needs like providing housing, food, medicine, and clothing to these youth. A comprehensive plan is being deployed to address their therapeutic, educational, and social needs with the immediate hiring of new teachers and additional social workers to provide on-site therapy. Respite is also a priority for these teens. Yemin Orde, which receives support from the Atlanta Federation, hopes that additional funding can provide pocket money, trips, and activities like swimming, bowling, and touring Israel.
Yemin Orde is doing heroic work to provide emergency grants to help families escape Ukraine and to provide them with support for living expenses in Israel. Without any financial commitment from the government of Israel at this point, it must provide this critical support from current core operating budget which is already being stretched by the current increase in food, gas, electricity, and other prices we see around the world. Contact Keren Rosenberg at Federation to learn more about supporting Yemin Orde.
