New Options: Do YOU have two or three-days or two or three-weeks – to “do good”?

Volunteers for Israel® is happy to announce additional options for those that want to help Israel in a very direct “hands-on” way.

Extension option: If you have one, two, three or more days or weeks BEFORE or AFTER the VFI / Sar-El program.

Independent option: If you have one, two, three or more days or weeks to volunteer in Israel, without doing the VFI / Sar-El program.

Nature of the volunteer work:

• Helping the community and residents of Sderot.
• Food gathering and distribution of food to the hungry and those in need.
• Youth Villages, helping the elderly, working with the physically and mentally disabled, assisting at absorption and community centers, assisting at hospitals, working in women's shelters, assisting at group homes for at-risk youth, becoming a Kibbutz volunteer.

Duration of the volunteer work:

• Days: as many as you have
• Weeks: as many as you have
• Be aware that US residents with a valid US passport can stay in Israel up to 90 days on their automatic tourist visa

Volunteer Projects:

• Helping the residents of Sderot
• JAFI – SHELI program
• Table-to-Table – Project Leket
• Ruach Tova
• Magen David Adom

Be aware that some of these options will require you to pay for room/board, transportation and incidentals – and some will cover some of the costs or point to inexpensive options.  This will vary from program to program. There may also be religious, language and age restrictions based on the specific volunteer work program.

Are YOU interested in the new Special Program options? Fill out the VFI Special Program Request form.

Taglit-birthright israel Extensions

VFI / Sar-El is available as a special extension for Taglit-birthright israel program participants. More information on Taglit-birthright israel.

International Youth Program - June 21 to July 9 and July 12 to July 30, 2009

A special program for young adults. This is what makes it unique and different from our regular programs:

• A three week program.
• Only open to young adults ages 17 to 25.
• You have to be an English speaker. You can expect to be with other volunteers from other English speaking countries.
• The programs starts on a specific Sunday. You can not join it late .
• They generally try to place the groups in special locations.
• You will make friends for a lifetime.
• Most participants really have a good time. We have had several who have done double sessions, and some of have signed up to do it again.

To read a firsthand account from a recent participant - follow this link.

Interested in earning college credit for your VFI adventure? - click here

Want to know more? Want to talk to a former IYP participant? Contact us.

Hebrew Anyone? The Ulpan-chik option

VFI’s goal is to connect people to Israel.  We seek to strengthen the connection between people via physical labor and interpersonal contacts.

Most of our volunteers do not speak Hebrew.  In many cases, that may limit people’s interactions with the Israelis they encounter.  At one time, there was an Ulpan option with the Sar-El program, but that required a three-month commitment.  That option was eliminated because of government budget shortfalls in Israel and other problems.

VFI decided to underwrite a trial of the Ulpan-chik option as part of our organizational mission. By all accounts it was a success with our volunteers. We now offer this option as an ongoing and regular feature of the program. To see when it is being offered - check the Program Schedule.

Here are some of the details for this option:

• Focused on practical Hebrew (Aleph level) - something you can use on the base and on the street
• You will be in an environment that will allow you to be immersed in the language
• Classes will be held on the base in the evenings
• Minimum required attendance - 10 people, maximum 14 people
  • If we do not get the minimum of 10 - classes will NOT be held
  • So bring a friend!
• 2 session a week, 2 hour sessions - for a total of 4 hours a week, for 2 or 3 weeks.
• 2 weeks: 8 hours of instructions
• 3 weeks: 12 hours of instructions
• Cost: $50 USD
• The cost of the class is to pay for the teacher and materials for the class
• VFI and other national organization will collect the money up front - and then transfer to Sar-El to pay the teacher
  • US Residents: Make the check payable to "Volunteers for Israel". Send it in as a separate check with your application fee.
  • If the class is CANCELED because we did not get the minimum number of attendees - we will refund your money.
• If you have additional questions about the class - contact VFI at 212-643-4848 or 866-514-1948 or send an email.

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Leave a part of YOURSELF in Israel – Donate Blood!

Magen David Adom (MDA) is reporting a blood shortage in Israel.

If you are healthy and are willing to donate blood – please do so.
MDA is particularly looking for type “O” blood.

Volunteers for Israel® will work with MDA and Sar-El to see if we can get MDA mobile donation units to come to the bases – but in the meanwhile you can donate blood on your week-end off the bases.

For a list of ALL of MDA’s blood collection centers in Israel and their hours - click here.

Tools For Army Bases

Many of us who have volunteered on army bases across Israel have found ourselves in work situations that require the use of a variety of small hand tools- wrenches, chisels, hammers, screwdrivers, etc.

On more than one occasion, we have found that tools were in short supply or in poor condition. Many of us have been in workshops where there just were not enough tools to go around, or we had to actually make do with the wrong tool or even cobble together something that would substitute for what we really needed. This shortage reflects the reality of the long list of budgetary  priorities that Tracheal faces. Unfortunately, the lack of tools often cuts into the productivity of volunteers who so want to work hard and help the soldiers in any way we can. On a very small scale, a few volunteers have come up with a way to provide help and to show our continuing support for the soldiers of the IDF. On a pilot basis, we have collected a small amount of funds, purchased hand tools, packed them and are in the process of transporting them to Israel. Volunteers For Israel® and Sar-El are assisting us in distributing these tool boxes (at present, each the size of a large shoe box) to a few bases over the coming weeks. VFI has encouraged us to inform you all of our effort and to see if others would like to participate. At present, it is a small, but we feel meaningful gesture to show how much we care and to help improve the quality of our work when assigned to a base. We don’t know if this will grow--- that depends on all of YOU.

There are lots of ways to help support this effort: donate funds, offer to purchase and pack the tools; offer to carry them over for hand-off to Sar-El; perhaps suggest a base where you have noticed a shortage and tell us what the need is. The boxes are not too large and they are not too heavy, but they say a lot about our commitment to this incredible volunteer program.

Recommended Tools:

• set of screwdrivers (both regular and philips head)
• set of box wrenches (metric)
• "Gator" universal ratchet wrench
• hammer
• pliers (regular)
• needle nose pliers
• wire cutters

If you have that Multi-tool setting in your drawer or in the garage - now is your chance to really use it - bring it along (remember to pack it in your checked luggage).

If you’re interested in helping out, contact

[THANK YOU to Howard Mischel for seeing the need and taking the initiative. You can hear Howard's recent radio interview about his experience on the program.]