The Big Brother/Big Sister program serves about 100 children who lost a parent or an older sibling, pairing them with university-aged students who support them through the special difficulties of growing up in their painful circumstances - with direct and personal contact.
The need
When a child suddenly experiences loss and trauma in a terror attack, their world is ripped from under their feet. The pain is excruciating. For the past 13 years, OneFamily has been providing bereaved children with a mature, stable role model to join them on their journey of bereavement and help them acquire tools to cope.
OneFamily is Israel's premier organization serving the needs of Israel's victims of terror. OneFamily currently supports and helps rehabilitate about 3,550 civilians and soldiers - the wounded, the disabled, victims of trauma, and the bereaved. The organization's activities include support groups, workshops, therapy, psychological support, financial and legal assistance, retreats, camps for bereaved children and youth, and more.
One bond that lasts for years
The Big Brothers and Big Sisters are students from across the country, carefully selected for the role. They meet once or twice each week at the child's home to spend time together and build their relationship. Some play games the child loves but often can't play because of the loss in their family. Others do creative art and craft projects together, go to fun places, or take part in many other activities.
The mentor is also available by phone and online, and calls the child before the weekend, before every religious festival, on birthdays, memorials, and other special days in the child's life. The goal is to fill the void the child suffers from the loss.
OneFamily provides a great deal of training for every Big Brother/Big Sister, making sure they are prepared to deal with the particular needs of the children at OneFamily and always maintain a professional manner. They learn how to identify crisis situations and help the bereaved child cope with the difficulties he or she faces.
The cost to sponsor a Big Brother/Big Sister:
Recovery lasts a lifetime. The Big Brother or Sister walks beside the child along the way - so they never feel alone.
For details and to join: Ortal, *9711 · onefamilytogether.org
