Kav Lachayim is Israel’s leading social organization for people coping with severe illnesses and disability such as cancer, muscular dystrophy, cerebral paralysis, and other challenging diseases. The name Kav LaChayim means “lifeline.”
Amir Weil, the organization’s Jerusalem Director volunteered for four years before joining the organization’s staff. “Every day is a new experience. Watching the kids smile, or just knowing that you have helped saving someone's life – is worth every second.
Kav Lachayim has had a profound impact on Amir, “What motivated me is that before I joined the organization, I used to look at disabled kids in a wrong way. I used to be scared of them. I even used to walk on the other side of the street because I never knew what to say to them or how to look at them. I felt that I needed to get closer to them in order to know them better. Once I did, I realized that they're not any different from any other person. They are even better than us and appreciate life in a right way. Now that I'm many years with them I can say that I learned a lot from them. They definitely made me look at this world in a better way.”
Kav Lachayim works in quality of life, saving lives and advocates for social change. Amir explains “We operate in three fields: Improving quality of life - Seeking to ensure the maximum quality of life possible to those coping with physical limitations and their families. Saving life - Accompaniment, support, and resource-raising for sufferers of all ages facing life-threatening circumstances. Social change - Seeking to change the attitude of the average Israeli to the sick and disabled.”
Kav Lachayim helps children with illness feel normal “We give every kid the opportunity to be like every other kid. By making them feel like normal kids, we show them that each one of them can cross that line, and that they can be and do as much as any kid. We show them in our activities that they are not different than others. They have to cross that line - the line that blocks them from doing things because of who they are.”
Volunteers are critical to the organization. Seven hundred volunteers run ten social clubs throughout Israel. Amir notes “Our activities take place through out all the country and in the suburbs of State of Israel: Kiryat Shmone, Dimona, Shderoth….emphasizing the special needs of those who are sentenced to life of pain in an area with low access to social and treatment centers.”
Children with illness and adults until the age of thirty are served with impressive activities:
600 house visits from volunteers on a weekly basis
30 Shabbats in different communities during the all year
300 personal volunteers
35 fan days for kids and grown-ups
5 three day trips a year
6 summer camps
Winter camp for our grown-ups in Eilat
Two delegations abroad
Fun days for mothers
5 evenings a year to thank the volunteers
Running 14 foundations for gathering resources to save lives
Start volunteering – only then you will get the real feeling of giving to others. These kids give us the power and strength to continue smiling every day. Those who suffer the most – appreciate life the most.
