Community service participants started off the day by heading into Karmiel to the Pitchon Lev food bank. The students put together boxes & boxes of food for the needy in Israel. In addition some of the other students were sorting clothes in a goodwill center getting them ready to be sold. From there, the students went to MAS Karmiel where they had the chance to work with adults with special needs. The students helped immensely on the work that the adults at MAS Karmiel were working on and enabled them to make more money since they helped produce more items needed. The students had the chance to laugh & smile with the workers and took a wonderful picture all together. This facility has only been open for a month or so and the students felt honored to simply be there. Below are pictures of Community Service and some from Gadna as they also had a wonderful day in training. (Sea-to-Sea pics posted later this week )
"At first I was kind of upset that I got put on the community service elective, but every minute I realize a little bit more just how amazing of an experience it really is. This afternoon we helped out at M.A.S. Carmiel, a place that employs mentally challenged people, and I can honestly say it was one of the most fulfilling community service projects I've done in my entire life. Not only did our group work hard, but we had fun doing it! Apparently, we did so much work and we did is so well we helped to increase the salary of the regular workers there. Rarely do people get to see the immediate effect of what they do, but today we witnessed the joy of the workers first hand. They walked around hugging us and kissing our cheeks, the biggest smiles on their faces, telling us they loved us. It was so hard not to smile right back, what an awesome feeling! I know I couldn't stop smiling. Truly a part of IST that I will never forget. Not only are we giving back, but we're having fun doing it! Our group is so small, which is leading to the creation of some amazing bonds. I can't wait to see all that happens in the next two days!" - Shelby Ginsburg
"It's hard not to smile when the people you're helping always smile. Today we were helping out mentally disabled people at this factory in Carmiel. I personally wasn't working with them but everyone I encountered was happy to have us there. We were helping package the containers you put turkeys in for thanksgiving. We were only there for an hour and a half but we were able to package enough that the people we were helping will receive a bigger salary this time around. Part of the reason this day was so great, was because we could see the difference we were making. At the end of the day we took a picture with the people working and it was so hard not to smile because they were cheering for us, smiling, telling us that they loved us and giving us non stop hugs. So far it's one of the best moments of this trip."
- Maya Matatall
COMMUNITY SERVICE
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Food bank - Pitchon Lev
GADNA
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To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, a time to reap that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sow; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
