Repairing needy families’ home for free is a commendable and amazing service, but the non-profit organization Tenufa Bakehila goes the extra mile to ensure families break the cycle of poverty through unique means, unlike any other organization.
These struggling families live in dilapidated housing conditions, and often feel they are in a hopeless downward spiral of emotional, medical, and financial deterioration. Tenufa Bakehila’s professional construction team and social workers build a respectful relationship with families to provide them with necessary repairs, and build them a bridge to a life of emotional, financial, and psychological stability.
Urgent repairs made by this organization include: repairing broken roofs, rotting kitchen cabinets, hazardous electrical systems, water heating systems, plastering and repainting moldy and collapsing walls, light installation, and more. Meanwhile, a professional social worker meets with the family to provide tools and connect them to resources to stop the downward spiral into further poverty—tools to aid with unemployment, abuse, financial planning, medical assistance, and more. Thus, the work of Tenufa Bakehila is two-fold: to provide safe and healthy living conditions, and to empower families to reach independence and a brighter future.
“I was blessed with a tremendous miracle in my life the day that Tenufa Bakehila arrived at my door step. Their work was a huge revolution in our lives, and opened a window of hope that showed us that there can be a light at the end of this long tunnel. ”
Tenufa Bakehila started when founder and director Gabi Nachmani was a student and handyman and donated his time to needy families. It was then he witnessed the huge change that he brought to people’s lives, changes that went far beyond just the physical home itself—to also repairing the family and bringing hope and motivation for great change.
Since Nachmani began the organization 23 years ago, it has grown tremendously and now serves 8 cities throughout Israel. In the past four years alone, the program has doubled its capabilities. Cities include Hatzor, Beit Shemesh, Jerusalem, Hadera, Or Akiva, Binyamina, Pardes Hanna, and Kiryat Gat. Thus far, they have repaired nearly 4,000 homes and helped these families get back on track.
Nachmani says he intends to continue growing the organization so that every needy family in each Israeli city can be helped and empowered. Currently, the Tenufa Bakehila office receives multiple calls and emails every day with requests for help, but the need is so great that Tenufa Bakehila can only assist 1 out of every 3 requests due to budget restraints. With his fundraising attempts, Nachmani seeks to continue the organization’s work helping Israel’s neediest families.
To learn of the amazing stories of individual families, visit https://www.facebook.com/tenufabakehila and follow their page. To donate to the organization or to volunteer, visit www.tenufa.org