Yad Ezra V’Shulamit was founded in 1998 with the initial goal of providing immediate hunger relief to dozens of Israeli families in need. While this goal was the primary focal point and will always be considered to be part of the organization’s future donations, it was not the only aspect of the long term plan. From the beginning, we understood that poverty did not exist in a vacuum. Contributing food to the hungry may ease the immediate essential daily requirements for families living in dire conditions, but the perpetuation of poverty would still be prevalent. Therefore, we set out to truly break the cycle of poverty once and for all by providing a “full service” humanitarian offering of sorts. This would go on to include after school educational programs, academic enrichment via personalized tutoring, professional guidance, and activities for teens at risk. This type of charity focuses on the empowerment of the individual through tailored rehabilitation, which assists in building self-confidence and ultimately future success.
