November 19th, 2023 – in the midst of the war other needs are also remembered: Ben Shemen Youth Village received a donation of brand-new sports shoes. The youngsters always look forward to a visit from Helping Hand Coalition for Israel and are grateful for the sportswear donation that they otherwise cannot afford.
At this hard time the village houses Iron Swords evacuees in addition to helping local youths.
The Village administration wrote a very heart-warming letter of thanks, the text appears below:
TO:
Klaus De Walt, chairman (Global Aid Network Germany) – GAIN
Andre Gasiorowski, chairman of Helping Hand Coalition (HHC)
Sebastien Petrone (Humanitarian Aid Director)
Dear sirs,
Thank you very much for your contribution to Bartali – Youth in Movement (brand new “Five Ten” pricy shoes for evacuees from the South).
October 7th was the single worst day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust, and the darkest day in Israeli history. Entire families were wiped out, communities were obliterated, and tens of thousands of Israelis have been forced to leave their homes.
Some of the ramifications of the war are already visible. The effects of this disaster will be felt emotionally, economically, and civically for generations. The long process of the communities who survived the massacres to recover and rebuild will pave the way for the recovery of the entire nation.
One of the most important elements in this recovery journey is the healing of children and youth:
Currently, thousands of youths have been evacuated from their homes. Many of them lost family members, were hurt or injured and it’ll take years to heal from the injuries both physically and mentally. As such, they are all officially defined as “at-risk” by the local authorities.
Over the past 5 years, “Bartali Youth in Movement”, developed an expertise in the field of resilience and self-efficacy development among at-risk youth. Using the unique power of mountain biking, we have been successful in engaging over 800 at-risk youth (at 10 youth villages and rehabilitation boarding facilities around Israel), in a multi-phase and multi-year empowerment program.
We continue to address our students’ needs in the various cycling centers and at the same time build a tailored response for the youth of the Western Negev.
It is our great pleasure to relay to you the deep gratitude of the children and youth who you so generously helped. We deeply appreciate your continued support and we look forward to hosting you in the near future in one of our cycling centers.
Wishing for better days. Sincerely 
