ELEM’s The Heart/Halev program helps youth and young people who are engaged in prostitution. It become a home for them, but also for staff and volunteers. Just like its name, the center touches your heart.
We want to share with you two moving texts written by Halev’s staff member and volunteer.
Tal Hochman, The Heart/Halev Volunteer:
“In South Tel Aviv there is a special place that gives everyone who wants and needs a place to rest, gather strength and get back up.
ELEM’s The Heart/Halev is home to every young woman or man who are engaged in prostitution, where they can come and forget about life outside for a bit. There are fresh clothes, warm homemade meals, a clean bed and a hot shower. But above all there are volunteers who have been visiting the place religiously for years.
Volunteers who help with cooking or a handyman who renovates and builds furniture. But mostly they are someone that listens to anyone who wants to talk, about what happened today, or about the things that hurt the most.
This place and its people always give me hope that with care for others and patience, even when we can’t understand, they are what we really need to make it better here.”
Stephanie, The Heart/Halev Staff:
“For me The Heart/Halev is much more than a workplace. The job requires us to face the changing reality of every young man and woman daily.
To take care of them and instill hope. Help them believe they have a chance, to have trust in people and especially in themselves.
To see a young person return from the cold and chaos of the street, take off their heels, wipe off their make-up and come inside the house, a place where they feel welcomed, feel like children again – this is the true meaning of our work.”
