Pitchon-Lev directly assists hundreds of thousands of families and individuals every year, regardless their gender, religion, race or nationality.
Many thousands of these people have arrived in Israel from conflict and war zones, often having endured unimaginably harsh and difficult conditions before they arrived in Israel.
Pitchon-Lev’s vision
Our vision is to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty in Israel for families and youth through providing humanitarian and rights utilization assistance, educational support and mentoring, and advocacy for reform of poverty law and a change in the government’s approach to poverty.
What do we do? Scope of work activities and beneficiaries
Pitchon-Lev realizes its vision in three main ways:
1. Immediate assistance / urgent aid and impact projects:
Humanitarian Aid Centers
Our Centers across the country receive referrals from local municipal welfare departments including referrals from social workers, to assist thousands of families in need. Each month, we distribute over 6,000 nourishing and diverse family food parcels, 1,000 baby food parcels, diapers and over 20,000 clothing and footwear items. Food parcels include: meat, chicken, rice, legumes, fresh fruits and vegetables, soup powder, canned dairy products, oil, bread, cookies, coffee and tea, sugar and more.
Among our aid recipients are many Olim and refugees, mainly from Ukraine and Ethiopia.
Rights Utilization Centers
In addition to support for physical needs, our Rights Utilization Centers provide social assistance including information, guidance and case management on issues including: housing, debt management, employment, social security, health and workers' rights. We work with Applicants to ensure that they receive all of their government entitlements and benefits. Our Rights Utilization Center Manager in Nof HaGalil (previously Nazareth Illit) is both a native Russian and Ukranian speaker.
Tech for good- Rights-in-a-Click (Zchut B’Kalut)
Pitchon-Lev has launched an innovative new on-line program which is free of charge to improve rights and welfare access. Accessed through a web site and a call center, it assists those applying for social and financial benefits. Every application submitted is guaranteed review within 72 hours. Rights-in-a-Click is initially focusing on unemployment benefits and directs Applicants to experts who help and guide them through the process. Support is offered through Pitchon-Lev’s Rights Utilization Centers, and where needed representation is offered in partnership with the Israel Bar Association.
Lehetiv Project
Pitchon-Lev helps and enables families living in poverty to improve their mental, physical and financial well-being through direct and tailored solutions for each family. To create holistic support to get families ‘on their feet’ in a sustainable way, Lehetiv recruits local authorities and other relevant support to advance employment, maximize economic potential and facilitate greater social mobility.
Textile Recycling Center in Carmiel
Pitchon-Lev operates a Textile Recycling Center which integrates people with disabilities/ limited abilities into society by employing them in our recycling plant employment. At Carmiel, donated clothes are sorted for distribution or sale. Unusable clothing is sold to industry for recycling into rags.
Proceeds from the enterprise are used to pay wages of the employees and to contribute to the cost of food parcels for distribution to the needy.
2. Long-term intervention:
Pitchon-Lev has unique educational and empowerment programs, aimed to break the inter-generational cycle of poverty. Through working directly with individuals and helping them achieve their potential, we also improve their potential for greater social mobility:
Program 7: This is a three-phase and seven-year educational, empowerment and mentoring program that assists at-risk-youth from the socio-geographical periphery achieve their poten