Yad Sarah

Yad Sarah
Formation1976; 48 years ago (1976)
TypeGemach
Legal statusNon-profit
PurposeLoans of medical and rehabilitative equipment and other services for homebound and elderly
HeadquartersJerusalem, Israel
Location
  • Israel
Region served
Israel
Official language
Hebrew
President/Founder
Uri Lupolianski
AffiliationsUnited Nations Department of Public Relations
Budget
US$23 million[1]
Staff
150[2]
Volunteers
6,000
Website[1]
RemarksAwarded 1994 Israel Prize
Granted special advisory status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council

Yad Sarah (Hebrew: יד שרה) is the largest national volunteer organization in Israel.[3] Employing over 6,000 volunteers,[4][5] with a salaried staff of 150,[2] Yad Sarah serves over 350,000 clients each year.[3] It is best known for its free loans of over 244,000 pieces of medical and rehabilitative home-care equipment annually,[2] enabling sick, disabled, elderly and recuperating patients to live at home.[5] This saves the country's economy an estimated $320 million in hospital fees and long-term care costs each year.[4][6]

According to an independent survey, one out of every two Israeli families has been helped by Yad Sarah.[6][7][8] The organization serves Jews, Christians, Muslims and Druze,[2] as well as tourists with disabilities.[9][10] Its menu of free or nominal-fee services include lending of medical and rehabilitative equipment, oxygen service, wheelchair transportation, national emergency alarm system, services for the homebound, legal aid for the elderly, geriatric dentistry, day rehabilitation centers, a play center for special needs children, and an education and recreation club for retirees.[2][6][7] Yad Sarah receives no government funding,[2][3] but relies on donations to meet its $23 million operating budget.[1][10] It exports its expertise to developing countries and has established similar models in various countries. Yad Sarah is a recipient of the Israel Prize and has been awarded advisory status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

  1. ^ a b "Policy Brief on Ageing No. 10" (PDF). United Nations Economic Commission for Europe. January 2011. p. 11. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  2. ^ a b c d e f Coopersmith, Rabbi Nechemia; Simmons, Rabbi Shraga (20 December 2003). "Mayor with the Golden Touch". aish.com. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  3. ^ a b c Rosenblum, Jonathan (14 October 2004). "Uncaring Chareidim, Indeed". London Jewish Tribune. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  4. ^ a b "Yad Sarah – 30 Years Old". Israel Today Magazine. 9 July 2006. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  5. ^ a b "Yad Sarah: The story of a volunteers humanitarian NGO and its relations with the international community (abstract)". World Bank. 13 May 2008. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  6. ^ a b c Marks, Abbey (22 June 2007). "Israel's Yad Sarah Makes Volunteering With Elderly A National Pastime". Jweekly.com. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  7. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference beersheva was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference vital was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ Fritscher, Lisa (2011). "Wheelchair Accessible Travel in Israel". USA Today. Retrieved 8 December 2011.
  10. ^ a b Réti, Andy (2 March 2006). "Yad Sarah Makes Push In Canada". The Jewish Tribune. Retrieved 8 December 2011.