Cultivating Youth Volunteerism

Hadar began volunteering through the AMEN Youth Volunteer City program during the Second Lebanon War. She and her friends spent consecutive days and nights creating care packages for young families confined to bomb shelters in northern Israel. The activity kits, in Hebrew and Arabic, were then distributed by teens in other AMEN network cities.

"Now I put a huge emphasis on volunteering," says Hadar, who actively participates in her city’s 20-plus youth volunteer opportunities, which include a babysitting service and a mentoring program.

In the eight pilot cities where the AMEN Youth Volunteer City program was launched in 2003, the rate of youth volunteerism has risen from less than 10 percent to a staggering 50 percent. In 2007, more than 47,000 teenagers volunteered 3.6 million hours for their communities. UJC/Federation Israel Emergency Campaign funding has enabled AMEN to offer over 200 creative new youth volunteer frameworks, including medical clowns for children in hospitals, community gardening, and computer proficiency help for elderly.

"AMEN alters the landscape of the city because it is city based and works in cooperation with the government to reach all local residents in need," says Ronit, who oversees the program. "Every city deserves to have AMEN!"

May 2008