As we prepared this newsletter to update you on what happened at Negba Beer-Sheva, the alarm sounded, and we have just emerged from the shelters. (And between writing and publishing, more alarms!) Report on the events of this week and the conditions under which we worked.
Hoping that the calmer days will come soon,
Shabbat shalom!
Staff training in emergency and stressful situations
The coordinators and housekeepers of Negba’s Homes participated in a very enriching conference on emergency and stressful situations. They received the necessary tools to know how to listen, advise and help children and their families.
Preparation for remote activities and activity kits
The young girls in the civil service keep working to find new ideas for remote activities and games. Every day, they meet on Zoom, or by phone, with children who are impatiently awaiting this moment, in order to see them, talk to them, but also to give them a fun and relaxing time.
That and more: dozens of kits have been prepared by Negba coordinators, housekeepers and social workers so that children can keep busy when they are stuck in shelters, away from their computers.
Visits to children’s homes
Yesterday, as soon as the alarms subsided a bit, the team visited the children and their families to check in with them, and also to distribute the kits they had lovingly prepared. The children greeted them with so much joy and big smiles that this moment was very moving for all. “Negba is their second family,” explains Eliav Geissmann, educational director, “and a family is there in the good times but also in the most difficult.”
Video
Even on weekends, and far from Negba’s Homes, Negba’s animators think of the children. They prepared a little surprise video for them that began with a very warm message of support and comfort:
“Our loved ones, we are living in a difficult time for all of us. We hope it’ll go well. We have prepared a little clip for you to take your mind off things. We miss you so much!”
The children were very moved to discover this video a few hours before Shabbat.
