EZER MIZION
International Office Background Description: The establishment of Ezer Mizion (“Help from Zion”) in 1979 as a non-sectarian, non-profit organization was based upon first hand knowledge of the disabled community's unique needs. Initiated with 8 volunteers and one private home, Ezer Mizion has developed into a national humanitarian paramedical aid organization with 40 branches in 25 cities. With the help of close to 10,000 volunteers, Ezer Mizion's paramedical services reach over a quarter of a million people throughout the country. Mission and Objectives: Ezer Mizion's mission is to provide full paramedical support for people in crisis, free of charge. Ezer Mizion aims to ensure that the sick and disabled receive full medical and social support, enabling them to meet the challenges facing them. Target Group: All individuals and families in crisis, regardless of their religion, national or ethnic origin, financial or personal status. Types of Programs Offered: Meals on Wheels - Ezer Mizion distributes 340,000 hot meals annually, in a program providing for the elderly, sick and invalid. Meals on Wheels are also supplied to family members of hospitalized patients and incapacitated homemakers. Hospital and Medical Institution Volunteers - Ezer Mizion's volunteers can be found in hospitals and medical institutions all over the country, offering companionship, lending a helping hand and moral support to patients and their families. Home Care and Tele-link Service - Ezer Mizion's volunteers visit the homes of the handicapped, elderly and sick to assist with home chores and daily routines, ease the pain and help them cope. Ezer Mizion Tele-link volunteers make contact with the homebound from the “outside world” to reduce loneliness, identify problems and provide for their special needs. Make-A-Wish Program - Ezer Mizion runs a wish fulfillment program as part of its activities for the elderly. When an elderly or homebound person makes known a wish to see a particular site, take part in some activity, or even travel to see family members, Ezer Mizion helps the wish come true with care and compassion. Medical Services & Referrals - Ezer Mizion's referral consultants promptly direct patients to appropriate physicians who expediently attend to the cases, be they minor or of great magnitude. Ambulance and Transport Services - Ezer Mizion maintains a fleet of ambulances and medical transport vans, supplemented by 600 volunteer vehicles. At work around the clock, they provide free transport to the elderly, invalid and sick to and from medical centers throughout the country. Blood Bank and Database - Ezer Mizion sponsors a blood drive program connected to hospital blood banks nationwide. In addition, a database of rare blood types and willing donors is maintained. Each year, many people's lives are saved by Ezer Mizion's emergency blood bank and database services. Bone Marrow Database - In 1998, the Ezer Mizion National Bone Marrow Database was inaugurated in affiliation with the International Bone Marrow Bank. Tens of thousands of potential donors are ready to answer the appeal for a transplant at any time. Since its inception, dozens of successful matches have been made. Psychological Services - Support Groups and Hotline - Ezer Mizion personnel, on call 24 hours a day, work with social workers, psychiatrists, and psychologists to provide confidential and immediate assistance. Family support groups are also available. Rehabilitation Program - Ezer Mizion encourages physically and emotionally disabled men and women to become productive members of society by training them in practical skills and occupying them with constructive work. This opportunity also provides these special adults with a social outlet and builds their feelings of responsibility and confidence. Medical and Rehabilitative Equipment Loan Center - Ezer Mizion loans out the most advanced paramedical and rehabilitative equipment to 25,000 sick and invalid people each year to ease their period of rehabilitation. The availability of this modern equipment allows for early release from hospital and eliminates the need to purchase expensive and/or hard to find equipment. Flight and Medical Arrangements throughout the World - Ezer Mizion pairs families with medical centers all over the world for emergency vital organ transplants and other complex medical procedures. Ezer Mizion personnel also assist with flight coordination and arrangements for the sick and their families. Medics and paramedics are available with the most sophisticated life saving equipment to accompany the patient. Voice Output Communication Aids (VOCA) Lending Library - Ezer Mizion opened the doors of communication to those whose speech is impaired by birth defects, accident or disease, with the VOCA Library. This unique lending center provides computer based hi-tech solutions for non-speaking Israelis to communicate their needs and desires. Borrowers of all ages with various difficulties may borrow the appropriate apparatus in accordance with their communication level. This library is unique to Israel and one of the few of its kind in the world. Developmental Center for Special Children - The aim of the center, based in the Tel Aviv area, is to engage special children, further their development and lighten the burden on their parents. Ezer Mizion trains developmental assistants in a full-year program. Graduates work with the children at home or in day care centers. The Developmental Center provides physical, occupational, and speech therapy on a daily basis. In addition, the Center provides family support. Ezer Mizion's Developmental Center for Special Children is the only center in Israel from which equipment can be borrowed to facilitate pediatric therapy at home. Afternoon Day Care - After school hours, Ezer Mizion runs unique day care centers to occupy hundreds of exceptional children and enhance their development. The children receive warm care, loving attention, and a nutritious dinner before they return home in the evening. Their overworked parents have a chance to handle their daily chores, secure in the knowledge that their children are safely cared for. Summer Camps for Special Children - Four regional summer camps serve 700 children with special needs providing them with numerous thrilling activities, otherwise unattainable. The camps are operated when all other educational frameworks are closed. Concerned families have a chance to recharge their batteries, confident that their children are in excellent hands. Summer Camps for Cancer Patients - Annually, Ezer Mizion coordinates a unique camp for children suffering from cancer. The children come with their close families and delight in a grand time. Hundreds of participants enjoy wonderful outings including helicopter flights, cruises, live entertainment, amusement parks, hikes and tours, and a summer full of fun and hope - truly a dream come true. Mikol Halev – “From the Heart” Program - This program is geared to nurture children suffering from cancer and assist their families with their individual needs. Joy and bliss fill the lives of these children through the Mikol Halev programs. VIP visitors, parties, entertainers, gifts, computers, games and more, brighten painful, dreary hospital stays and lonely, difficult recuperation periods at home. Among friends and loving volunteers the sick children blossom with youthful spirit. Oranit Guest Home for Young Cancer Patients - Ezer Mizion constructed Oranit, to accommodate families of cancer stricken youth undergoing outpatient treatment. The structure is strategically located in Petach Tikva, close to the country's primary pediatric oncology departments. Patients, referred by professional hospital staff, are released from the continuous cycle of traveling exhausting hours on the highway for just a few minutes of treatment. The building, with 22 comfortable, fully furnished suites, as well as playrooms, computer rooms, an auditorium, a cafeteria, a theater and other recreational/educational rooms, is surrounded by an attractive, spacious garden and an enchanting playground. In contrast to the hospital environment, Oranit is a cheerful “home away from home” for the children and their families to live in.
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