Is there anything better than going outdoors? Yes! A birthday party outdoors!
Our Outreach Vans usually start working after dark, meeting youth on the streets. Recently our Van in Atlit decided it was time for something different. The staff took some of the teens who they regularly work with on a trip. Some of the youth haven’t been outdoors for years!
It was an opportunity for everyone to bond and they even surprised one of the boys with an 18th birthday celebration after he shared that no one at home is planning one.
“We felt how going out into nature changes the atmosphere and allows the youth to go back to being children, take off the masks and protections. There is no doubt that the unforgettable experience made us all even closer – and feel like a family more than ever. We were all excited. It is exciting to be the significant adults in the lives of these boys and girls.”
However, this wasn’t ELEM’s only excursion. Our youth from Partners for the Road program in Lod went on a Jeep tour in the Jerusalem mountains with their mentors from Adama company.
Adama has been partnering with ELEM Israel for 15 years. Their employees provide mentorship for ELEM youth. They build a relationship with them, boost their confidence and provide them with trust and stability.
These kinds of fun experiences are so unique for at-risk youth and we are grateful for the generous partners that make it happen. We hope ELEM gets to offer many more such fun experiences.
