January 24th, 2020 – for several years now, Helping Hand Coalition for Israel and her various partners bring mobility and eye clinic to many cities from north to south of Israel, to many elderly and disabled who are in need of help.

This week our team of volunteers started from a hostel for the elderly Survivors of the Holocaust in Haifa. Haifa is a large port city in the north of Israel and has huge Russian-speaking population. 95 people received glasses for distance, reading and to protect their eyes from the bright sun. So many happy thankful smiles!

From there, the team traveled to Kiryat Gat in the south of Israel, and helped 70 survivors with eyeglasses, while 15 people received walkers, 25 people – canes, and 32 people received blood pressure monitors. All of the items were purchased with money donated by Christians, and the survivors and new immigrants were delighted to receive these gifts.

The team spent 4 days in the south-most Israeli city of Eilat – the first eye clinic ever there! At an elderly home, 104 Survivors of the Holocaust and war veterans received eye glasses. One of the survivors, a 95-year old lady, surprised the team by speaking in 6 languages! We are especially thankful for the management team of the home who helped us in arranging the clinic and became our new friends! On the third day, glasses were distributed at a day center for the elderly.  The main language spoken was Hebrew, but there were also Spanish, English and Russian speakers. A few Jewish people were born in Egypt and Morocco, and they also spoke Arabic. It was a very diverse group of people. There was even a 91-year-old survivor who survived a ghetto and a concentration camp. On the last day in Eilat, glasses were distributed in a facility where people undergo medical treatment.

The first week of the clinic was concluded in Beersheva, where 30 people were helped with eyeglasses. Several elderly never had glasses before and said they could see much better with them.