Heart of Benjamin, in Ofra, urgently needs your help to cover the cost of its Passover camps for special-needs children. This important program provides love, a sense of normalcy, and a fun camp experience in the Biblical Benjamin region—something the children look forward to all year! Your support is also vital to their parents, giving them a well-deserved break from the stress of caring for a special-needs child.
In Israel, children are out of school for three weeks during spring break, beginning before and continuing through the Passover holiday. The time period before the holiday is especially difficult for the parents of a special-needs child, as they contend with preparing for the holiday and juggling work schedules, while caring for all their children.
The Heart of Benjamin program, in Ofra, caters to families residing in the Benjamin region, providing resources for severely disabled children and their families, and helping them navigate a myriad of educational and social challenges. During the week before Passover the program operates camps for the severely disabled children, providing structure, and a memorable camp experience. Each action-packed day is full of activities, outings, nature hikes, and special attractions. But most importantly, it provides the children with unique and beautiful opportunities to improve their social skills, to feel included in a community of their peers and to develop a personal friendship with their counselor.
Last year, over eighty special-needs children participated in the Passover camp. It is the highlight of the year for these children, as each camper receives maximum attention, maximum care, and lots of love from their counselors. Each camper is assigned at least one, and sometimes two counselors to look after him or her. The camps are run by a team of professionals, but all of the counselors are teen volunteers from the Benjamin region, who receive special training for the job. These special camps are also an incredible gift to the parents, giving them much-needed time with their other children, and space to self-care, while knowing their special-needs child is well cared for — actually having a ball!
With the population growth in the Benjamin region, each year the number of campers grows. We need your help to continue providing Passover camp for families with special-needs children. This important program provides love, a sense of normalcy, and a fun camp experience in the Biblical Benjamin region— something the children look forward to all year! Your support is also vital to the parents, giving them a well-deserved break from the stress of caring for a special-needs child.
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