UIA funded social club opens its doors in Ashkelon
UIA Australia has held the official ribbon-cutting ceremony of a social club in Ashkelon, in southern Israel.
This centre, located in the Amigour Home, provides housing for vulnerable elderly citizens, including Holocaust survivors and new immigrants.
Hayley Southwick, Peter Horovitz and Esther Frenkiel cut the ribbon
Amigour is Israel’s leading operator of public and sheltered housing facilities for vulnerable elderly, a project of national priority supported by Keren Hayesod-UIA, the Israeli Government and The Jewish Agency for Israel.
The social club was built from funds raised by UIA through its inaugural crowdfunding Giving Day in November 2020. The campaign, which raised $2.4 million, broke Charidy’s record for raising the highest amount of money and having the highest number of donors (over 2,500) for a Jewish organisation in Australia. Remarkably, the campaign reached its initial target of $1.5 million within four hours of commencing and had the incredible support of approximately 250 volunteers around Australia. The Israeli Government matched all funds raised locally.
UIA was delighted to facilitate the official opening by inviting participants from our Major Donor Mission who saw first-hand the impact of their support. The Major Donor Mission participants, many of whom matched the funds raised by UIA for Amigour, were honoured with plaques at the facility. This cemented the final steps of a successful fundraising endeavour that began in 2020 and culminated in a life-changing centre for vulnerable members of Israeli society. Erez Shani, CEO of Amigour, also attended the ribbon-cutting ceremony. He said: “Currently, 597 elderly men and women live here – 35% of them are Holocaust survivors. Today is a day of celebration.”
Besides housing, Amigour residents enjoy Hebrew and English language classes, exercise classes, lectures on health and nutrition; handicrafts workshops, choral groups, computer classes, and more – all of which provide intellectual and cultural stimulation along with social interaction. Trips around Israel, visits to museums and the theatre and holiday celebrations offer the opportunity for personal enrichment. Dedicated on-site staff includes social workers, diversional therapists and caregivers to help the residents and ensures that all their needs are met.
UIA Australia President Esther Frenkiel, who officially cut the ribbon at the Amigour social club opening, together with Victorian President Peter Horovitz and Immediate Past President Hayley Southwick, said, “How wonderful it is for the Australian community to see the great result of their continuing generosity. It was an absolute privilege to be there in person and appreciate the wonderful work of KH-UIA.”
Currently Amigour provides 6,000 apartments in 57 homes for about 7,500 residents. But the need is constantly growing with about 27,000 elderly still lacking proper housing in Israel.
