Amigour sheltered housing enables the elderly to live their lives in dignity.
The shortage of low-rent housing in Israel imposes great hardships on many elderly Israelis.
Amigour Housing Management Company is a subsidiary of The Jewish Agency for Israel and is Israel’s leading operator of public and sheltered housing facilities for the aged. It is committed to easing the plight and meeting the needs of disadvantaged elderly men and women living in Israel. Today, over 7,500 disadvantaged seniors across the country enjoy affordable housing and independent living.
The situation is particularly severe for Holocaust survivors and immigrants from the Former Soviet Union, who lack financial resources and an adequate network of family and friends. Following the horrors these people endured, they arrived in Israel and were finally, possibly for the first time in their lives, able to live without fear.
However, large numbers of these new immigrants, including many disabled individuals, arrived in Israel almost penniless. Often childless and lacking a support system, they are forced to subsist on a paltry welfare allocation - an amount that is inadequate to rent even the most basic apartment.
Amigour residents also enjoy a variety of programs and classes. They participate in Hebrew and English language classes, exercise classes, lectures on health and nutrition, handicrafts workshops, choral groups, computer classes, and more - all of which provide intellectual and cultural stimulation along with social interaction. Trips around Israel, visits to museums and the theatre and holiday celebrations offer the opportunity for personal enrichment. Dedicated on-site staff includes social workers, diversional therapists and caregivers to help the residents and ensures that all their needs are met.
Despite the immense support provided by both the Israeli government and Keren Hayesod-UIA donors, the need for housing is increasing. There is a waitlist of thousands for Amigour from approximately 90,000 low-income seniors living below the poverty line in Israel. This presents a unique opportunity for donors to provide dignified living for many of the remaining Holocaust survivors through this important program.
Keren Hayesod-UIA donors can take comfort in knowing that Amigour residents feel secure in their twilight years.
This project is in partnership with The Jewish Agency for Israel, the Government of Israel and local authorities.
57
Amigour housing facilities across Israel
7,500
low-income seniors in Amigour housing
Many residents are Holocaust survivors and elderly immigrants
Social and cultural programming to provide a life of dignity