Children reach out to help others in Israel
T CHANUKAH, I gave a little boy in Israel a pair of glasses, so he could see better. It felt amazing.”
These are the words of sevenyear-old Lielle, who took part in Myisrael’s Chanukah campaign and became a Myisrael champion. For one night, instead of receiving her own present, she gave a gift to someone in need. And she loved doing it.
Myisrael believes children are never too young to start thinking about charity and introduces the concept in a way which opens their minds and hearts to becoming the next generation of philanthropists.
In the past year, 14 schools and nurseries have become Myisrael champions and have chosen one of Myisrael’s 18 under-the-radar charities to support. And the number of bar and batmitzvah children taking part in a Myisrael fundraising project rose by almost 60 per cent.
So why are so many children and young people choosing to support Myisrael?
Because with Myisrael, they really feel their impact. They are put in the driving seat from day one, when they get to choose which of Myisrael’s incredible charities to support, from art therapy for children who struggle to communicate, to dental treatment for kids in severe pain, to a food bank for families in desperate need. There is something to appeal to every young person.
Whatever they choose and however they decide to raise funds, Myisrael’s 100 per cent promise means every single penny will go directly to their chosen charity.
And Myisrael feeds back to them about how their donation is used, so they know exactly how they have made a difference.
This is crucial to engaging them in future charitable giving.
Yavneh student Toby Whiteley knew whose life he had transformed when he chose to become a Myisrael champion with a barmitzvah fundraising project. He organised a fivea-side football tournament at “Whiteley Hart Lane” (aka his garden) and raised more than £1,000 from the sponsored event.
Toby chose to donate to Intra, a therapeutic riding school for children with severe disabilities, and funded a year of horse-riding therapy for eight-year-old Ilan.
When Ilan was just four, he was diagnosed with a brain tumour and has required treatment ever since, missing large chunks of his schooling. His horse-riding lessons at Intra have changed his life, given him so much joy and confidence and helped him make friends for the very first time.
Says Toby: “Knowing I’ve made such a huge impact on Ilan’s life has made my barmitzvah celebration even more meaningful.”
myisraelcharity.org 020 3004 8994 Registered charity 1121960