SOME
OF OUR INTERGENERATION PROGRAMS
AMIT,
JERUSALEM
Myriam’s Dream is helping Amit’s program
called Shirsheret, an intergenerational program involving
4th and 5th graders with the elderly. The children
visit with residents of a home for the aged and participants
in a day care center, most of whom are over 80 and
are wheel chair bound. The "new friends"
exchange letters, drawings and poems, and visit at
least 5 times from December through June.
BEIT
FRANKFORTER, JERUSALEM
Quickly noticed by the MYRIAM'S DREAM instructor at
Beit Frankforter is that use of the internet and e-mail
helps bridge the generation gap between the elderly
and their children and grandchildren. Our grant also
includes funds for an instructor to create quality
gifts with the elderly participants, such as baby
sweaters and hats, aprons, quilts, and artisan crafts.
EILAT:
The GRANDPARENTS/GRANDCHILDREN PROGRAM provides grandparents
an education in child care for those who are guardians
or who babysit their grandchildren while the mothers
work to earn a living. These grandparents know little
about hygiene, exercises, nutrition, etc. because
many of them were not exposed to modern methods in
their countries of origin. The Eilat group helps to
feed and care for the children while educating their
caretakers.
MYRIAM'S DREAM recently purchased equipment, toys,
rugs and mattresses, and facilities to provide hot
lunches for the program. Also worth noting is the
distribution by the elderly of new book bags and school
supplies as the children begin their school year.
Also needed by the families were heaters and blankets
for the winter.
MYRIAM'S
DREAM BOOKBINDERY, ATLANTIC CITY
As Myriam once commented, "The young tear; the
old repair." The Myriam’s Dream Bookbindery
trains elders in the skilled craft of repairing and
rebinding books. Student groups from around the State
come to visit and observe. The Bookbindery accepts
book repair work from schools, synagogues, and personal
libraries. (Bookbindery telephone: 609-345-3350)
MATE
YEHUDA, ISRAEL
Mate Yehuda has many fine examples of top-notch intergenerational
and intercommunity activities (e.g.: Abu Gosh high
school, local elementary students). Myriam’s
Dream funded the newly developed enabling garden for
senior gardeners who use wheelchairs or braces. This
year Myriam’s Dream will aid youths who will
be working with the elderly on ceramics, silk painting,
candle making, weaving, and traditional baking. New
this year will be an attempt to grow Biblical plants
to dovetail with group discussions about Biblical
vegetation, both regarding their uses and their place
in literature. This intergeneration program is THRIVING.
!
YITAV
109, Jerusalem,
YAAKOV MAIMON volunteers
SOVIET JEWRY medical missions:
In our evaluations, there is no doubt that the annual
care which these volunteers and their families perform
for the elderly has a far-reaching effect. The acts
of kindness and skill volunteered for health care,
household repairs, family warmth, food and medicine,--
even providing a light bulb -- or supplying money
for a funeral - are evidence once again that a $15
and $25 contribution can make such a difference to
the recipient.
DIPLOMAT
HOTEL Elder Program
A great many of the students who also live in this
hotel have volunteered to help the elderly, via transportation,
home repair, and specialty aid from the law and medical
students.
RABBANIT
BRACHA KAPACH, JERUSALEM
To the poor from her private storage, the Rabbanit
provides food packages, clothing and personal essentials
as well as maintaining a kids' summer camp. MYRIAM'S
DREAM has given a grant to hire a part-time assistant
for this fundamental work.
CLICK
- HOD HASHARON, ISRAEL
One of the most amazing results of this intergenerational
program is the partnership and reciprocal relationship
that developed between children and elderly in the
community. For example, now the elderly cook a hot
lunch one day a week for the children in the respite
care program. And there now is a working factory called
SAVI where young and old work side by side to create
hand puppets and toys for sale in Israel and via Myriam's
Dream in the U. S.
In addition, elderly volunteers and high school students
renovated the home of a disabled Holocaust survivor,
who lived alone. They painted his house and built
new kitchen shelves. He said, " I am so happy
and glad that someone thought to help me."
BEIT
FRANKFORTER, JERUSALEM
The Bubbe Sandwich Program continues and with your
help, it can add additional students. In this new
project the Savtas (elderly Grandmas) 
in Jerusalem aim to reach every child who comes to
school or to summer camp without a morning sandwich.
These are children from broken homes, children whose
parents cannot, will not or do not have the money
or make the time to prepare a snack for their child.
The delivery driver reported "There wasn't even
one crumb left over."
The
Savtas have decided that they will prepare sandwiches
in our kitchens every morning for these children.
You can be a sponsor for one shekel a day $60 per
child (for 10 months).
