As Chol Hamoed approaches, Interstate Chaverim, once again, reminds all travelers to call Chaverim if they find themselves in a difficult road situation.

Chaverim – The organization of friendship, the organization that the only reason one doesn’t have their phone number saved to their contacts is because they remember the phone number by heart…

The reason for this is simple; each one of us could possibly be the next person to dial Chaverim’s number and request their help. Hitting a pothole that results in a flat tire happens to the most experienced driver. All it takes is one second of being distracted while closing your house or car door and your keys stay locked inside. You don’t have to fit into any special category to qualify for Chaverim’s services. They are always ready and willing to assist all of us, twenty four hours a day as true friends – regardless of age, gender, health or financial status.

All this hold true as long you’re in your local city or town. What happens if the mishap occurs while you’re far away from home? That’s where Interstate Chaverim enters the picture.

Interstate Chaverim consists of existing Chaverim members from all branches combined into one group. To date, there are 28 Chaverim locations established in Jewish communities across the United States, and Interstate works with all of them on a daily basis. Whenever a Chaverim dispatcher receives a call of someone stranded out of their coverage area, they contact Interstate, who instantly notifies all participating Chaverim members in order to find the closest member that’s able to assist the stranded traveler in the shortest amount of time.

Interstate Chaverim takes the fountains of experience, wellsprings of dedication, and the sheer number of volunteers from all existing Chaverim organizations and channels these resources to create a solution for those calls that occur in places that are not covered, or are located between, the existing Chaverim organization.

If you or your loved one is ever stranded on the road, don’t hesitate to call your local Chaverim branch, and if necessary they will connect you with Interstate.

Intestate handles multiple calls every day. Typically, the calls come in from the highways in the tristate area between the Chaverim locations. Frequently, however, Interstate deals with cases where people are stranded in some far out state or hick town for many hours after their car broke down or some other unfortunate situation. The Interstate dispatcher will help them with whatever necessary such as setting them up in a hotel overnight, getting them food, Talis and Tefilin etc. More importantly, they’ll provide guidance and assistance over the phone with information on towing companies, car rentals and mechanics etc.

Chol Hamoed, the time when Yidden travel to experience the beauty of nature in Hashem’s world, is by far the busiest time for Interstate Chaverim. This past Chol Hamoed Sukkos, the Interstate dispatchers handled many calls at a time assisting stranded motorists in more than fifteen of the states in the U.S.

We wish all Klal Yisroel a Chag Kosher V’Sameach and a safe, pleasant trip.

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