about us

YEDID ("friend" in Hebrew) was established in 1997 to promote social and economic        justice in Israel through a national network of Citizen Rights Centers in disadvantaged communities throughout Israel.  YEDID is the only national organization in Israel that empowers Israelis to break the cycle of poverty through free individual legal and social assistance, community education initiatives and grassroots organizing for social change.  Through our 26 Centers and Satellite Offices, YEDID is changing the face of Israeli society, reaching geographically remote communities that are not served by most non-profits and where social services have been cut to a minimum.

YEDID is founded upon the value of empowerment. This principle informs all of YEDID's activities and means providing individuals with the tools with which to break the cycle of poverty. YEDID helps people to help themselves, addressing the core issues and not just the symptoms.

YEDID's Goals Are To:

• Empower low-income Israeli citizens from all backgrounds to realize their social, economic and legal rights.
• Instill the principles and practices of democracy in communities that are remote from the mainstream of Israel's society.
• Encourage volunteerism and develop community leadership for social action.
• Foster social cohesiveness by developing relationships between different sectors of Israeli society.

2007 Accomplishments

In 2007 YEDID empowered over 34,000 Israelis to access their social and economic rights.  The most frequent client cases involved National Insurance Institute benefits, employment rights, debt management and avoiding repossessions, mortgage and housing rights, and food insecurity.   

Housing

• YEDID helped 8,500 citizens access their rights in housing related matters, such as public housing, mortgages and rental assistance. 

•·       YEDID's intervention prevented 4,960 mortgage foreclosures, representing a 90% success rate.

Debt Management

• YEDID provided advice and assistance to over 3,300 individuals in overcoming debt, refinancing bad debts, and avoiding repossessions and debtors' jail.

Social Security

• Thanks to YEDID's intervention 700 elderly people received full government pensions and 1,800 disabled people received equipment and benefits which they required.

Employment

• Over 3,200 people received assistance from YEDID concerning employment related matters, such as labor law and workers' rights.
• In 90% of the cases where clients were denied unemployment benefits, YEDID successfully overturned the ruling.
• YEDID is following the progress of Israel's Welfare to Work program to ensure that clients' rights are not violated and that they are given professional or vocational training that will prepare them for meaningful employment. 

Education

• YEDID provides new immigrant parents with the knowledge and skills to be partners in their children's education.
• YEDID provided individual assistance in preventing proposed school closings, unnecessary tracking of low-income children into special education classes, and school segregation in the Ethiopian community.

Disability Rights

• YEDID has organized activist groups in Kiryat Gat and Ashkelon to advocate for more accessible services.
• YEDID is building a master plan for improving accessibility in municipal buildings and services.

 Consumerism

• YEDID assisted hundreds of Ethiopian new immigrants who fell victim to wide-spread mortgage fraud.  Assistance was given on the individual level, helping them find public housing and deal with their mortgages; on the community level through courses and early intervention; and on the national level through collaboration with the Ministry of Housing. 
• To combat check fraud, YEDID published a brochure in Hebrew and Russian explaining how properly to write a check to avoid it being stolen or transferred to a third party.

 Hunger and Food Insecurity

• While YEDID prefers to treat poverty's roots rather than its symptoms, Centers distribute food when the need is pressing and there are no alternatives in the community.  This is done as modestly as possibly, without publicity, to preserve the dignity of the recipients.
• In 2007, YEDID distributed food to over 3,000 families in urgent need.
• As a result of YEDID's grassroots campaign - launched in 2003 - on behalf of instituting a "Hot Nutritious School Lunch" program for every child age 5-18, the government has launched a pilot program in selected schools. 

 Community Empowerment Programming

In 2007 more than 2,250 people participated in YEDID Community Empowerment projects across the country, including: Employment Readiness Courses; Family Budget Management; Elder rights; Dropout Prevention for new immigrant youth; Literacy Programs.