Summer Anxiety has Arrived

Our Summer Relief Campaign aims to lessen it for struggling families

Sunday, June 21, 2020

Summer has finally arrived and families are trying to figure out how to best spend the next few weeks (of what will hopefully be vacation and not isolation), in accordance with covid 19 health guidelines. It is a challenging task, one made even more so for families in need.

Single parent homes
 

Naomi is a divorced mother of three who dreads the end of school and the approach of summer, even in a “normal” year. “Summer is always very difficult for my family. During the school year, I know my children are in a supervised setting during the day...but over the summer they have nowhere to go. I already struggle to pay for my family’s needs, even just the food bill, for example. It is so expensive, and I try to get by with only the very basics: milk, a few vegetables, bread... There is no way I can afford day camps or classes for my kids. My ex husband doesn’t pay child support and I am always worried about paying our bills. And during the summer, the bills are higher. We are all cooped up in our tiny home...my children go through food faster, we use more water and electricity...plus as my kids get older, it is becoming harder and harder to keep them occupied. But what can I do?”

Naomi’s situation is similar to that of thousands of other impoverished families throughout Israel. All struggle throughout the year but when “chofesh ha’gadol” arrives, they are left with few options for their children as they try to keep them occupied and pay for higher expenses with limited resources. And with the decimation of the job market due to covid 19, the situation has worsened exponentially.

Newly unemployed parents are struggling

When Ayala was put on unpaid leave, the loss of her salary made an immediate impact on her family. Pre-corona, she and her husband were barely making ends meet with the combination of her income plus his stipend. But the loss of Ayala’s secretarial job, months ago, quickly affected their home, causing regular expenses to accumulate into significant debt. And the approach of summer vacation is adding to that debt, plus contributing terrible stress to the home environment as well. “Currently we are all home, my husband and I are feeling the strain every day; there are no options for our children this summer and we couldn’t afford to send the kids out even if there were. I have to worry about paying our rent first, and how to keep food on the table. I’m looking for another job but even if something pans out it will take ages to regain some balance…”.

Donations will make a difference this summer

Yad Eliezer’s Summer Relief Campaign was set up to help families in situations just like these. The season is extremely trying, but it can be improved with help. Donations really make a difference. They ease the cost of groceries, utilities, rent and other expenses that average families can take for granted. And as one of the most effective Israeli charities, donors know that 97% of each dollar donated to Yad Eliezer is going straight to those in need-making the summer less stressful and a bit more enjoyable.