Teens or pre-teens’ challenges come in all forms: social, emotional, behavioral, educational, and everything in between. No matter the obstacle, when a child’s future is on the line, parents need a reliable resource to turn to for guidance and support. This was particularly true over the past 10 months where COVID-19 turned the world on its head.

Children who were already struggling had their personal situations exacerbated. Being thrown into an unpredictable, and inconsistent daily schedule has left these children feeling lost, unsettled, and scared. They needed a lot more attention this year, and so, despite the government-mandated limitations, Yedidim’s mentoring and parental guidance resources have been more active and more crucially needed than ever before.

Please consider donating to our end of year campaign by clicking here. 

Your support will help someone in their time of need.

Yedidim, an Israeli-based nonprofit organization, gives struggling pre-teens and teens tools for life, enabling them to become successful members of society— at home, in school, with their peers, and in their futures. Since 2004, Yedidim has partnered with more than 200 schools and helped more than 8,000 children in Israel thrive— inside and outside of the classroom.

“We are committed to helping children develop the tools they need to succeed in their lives through our individualized program which guarantees caring guidance, constant progress assessment, and a supportive and professional team for each and every child and family,” says Rabbi Yaacov Goodman, Director, and Founder of Yedidim.

As part of its mission, the organization provides mentors for children. These mentors who are used to regularly spending time and working with children throughout Israel went above and beyond this past year, and put in extra time and effort in creative ways to help the children and teens through this difficult period. Mentorship meetings were moved to Zoom and on the phone; yet for the essential cases, the organization still found ways to safely meet in person and continue the much-needed mentoring and guidance.

Parents that were already at their wit’s end, now desperately needed a life-line. They reached out to the organization for extra, much-needed support and guidance from Yedidim’s case managers. The Parental Resource Center’s therapy cases that usually only met once a week were now having parents calling in 2 to 3 times a week for extra help.

Please consider donating to our end of year campaign by clicking here. 

Your support will help someone in their time of need.

“We moved sessions, workshops, and seminars online to assist parents in their everyday parenting challenges. We created interactive webinars addressing the unique challenges of parenting during corona, parents struggling with teenagers, and single mothers looking for support, help, and tips to manage and balance their lives,” said Rabbi Goodman.

Yedidim opened a parenting hotline to support struggling parents who were unable to handle the new pressures being thrown at them by their children and families. In addition, a virtual support group was also created just before Pesach for divorced mothers to prevent anxieties and much-added stress. 

“We quickly adapted and helped those who lack the stability to create stronger stability in some of the most challenging times. We are growing a smarter and stronger organization, committed to reaching as many children as possible who are struggling emotionally, academically, socially, religiously, or due to Aliyah-related issues, and we provide them with the help and support they need,” says Rabbi Goodman.

It’s clear that these past ten months have not been the exception, but rather it became the new rule. Life is different, childhood is different, parenting is different and if organizations of support and strength do not understand that, they are doing a disservice to the communities they serve. Yedidim is now positioned for a stronger tomorrow. Yedidim is equipped with new and smarter tools to build from the recent experiences, appreciate the unpredictability of life and circumstance, and use them to transform the future for the brighter and the better.  

Due to COVID, our usual avenues of fundraising are limited, but the calls coming have been and continue to be increasing, higher than ever before. 

We are raising money to hire more mentors, run more workshops, and cover our basic operational expenses so that we can continue to help these families and their children when they need us most.

Please consider donating to our end of year campaign by clicking here. 

Your support will help someone in their time of need.