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Rockets Fail to Deter JDC Staff From Helping Elderly in Ma’alot
On Tuesday night, July 18th, a spray of bullets from a Ketusha rocket badly damaged the JDC-Eshel supported Ma'alot Day Care Center for the Elderly as staff was busily preparing hot meals for delivery, medications and emergency kits for homebound elderly. The Ketusha landed on the fence of a nursery school across the street, destroying the center's front façade and much of the interior infrastructure.
Although the Israeli Home Front Command has shut down public centers, including schools and community centers, JDC-Eshel staff, together with their local partners, are braving the risk of airborne missiles and rockets to ensure that the elderly in the North, who did not have the financial means or family connections to evacuate the area, are cared for. Yelena, the Director of the Ma'alot Center believes it is a miracle that she and her staff were saved -- it was only by chance that a colleague had entered the building and "sensed" something approaching and ordered the staff to get under a table. Several staff members were rushed to the hospital but no one suffered major injuries. Despite the near miss, Yelena's staff remains undaunted and has managed to deliver 200 meals on the first day, 460 on the second day and will continue to increase the amount. The interior doors of the building hardly open now but the staff continues its operations determined to reach out to all needy elderly in the area. Throughout the North of Israel, the JDC has launched a massive on-the-ground outreach program to the 29 towns in the affected areas in the North of Israel and in Gaza to ensure that the 10,000 vulnerable elderly will not be abandoned. By the end of the week, JDC will have delivered more than 8,000 emergency kits (which include flashlight, radio, toiletries and other essentials) to elderly in the North. JDC helped to mobilize a cadre of volunteers to implement these efforts. Each kit also includes a personal letter signed by top JDC staff reassuring the elderly that they will not be alone in this crisis. July 2006 |
