The Leeds community springs into action to help WIZOUK raise £750,000 for vulnerable Israelis.
WIZOUK launched an urgent 36-hour online fundraising campaign, Spring into Action, aiming to raise £750,000 to meet the steep rise in demand for its services during the pandemic. Thanks to the support of generous donors, WIZO secured matched-funding which meant every donation within the 36 hours of the campaign was doubled. At its close, over £860,000 had been raised thanks to the immense generosity of the contributors and benefactors who responded to the call for help. The campaign ran as a part of Jewish Women’s Week (JWW) and later in the year will be added to the final JWW total.
As lockdown prevented WIZO groups across the country from holding their regular events and fundraising activities, there was a tremendous sense of unity as they reached out to their networks and virtually fundraised together. Across the Leeds region alone, the groups raised more than £27,000.
Since the start of the pandemic, more women and children have fled their abusive homes and arrived at WIZO shelters. A WIZO report in
November 2020 revealed that domestic violence in Israel was up 300% during the pandemic. WIZO was the first organisation in Israel to open an emergency shelter during the first lockdown. Unfortunately, the demand for a safe place has not fallen and this emergency shelter has now become permanent for the foreseeable future.
More children are being referred to WIZO’s day care centres by social services, as the negative impact of lockdowns has prevented their parents from being able to afford childcare, with many relying on the centres for their only meal of the day. More teenagers are in need of the full boarding facilities at WIZO’s youth villages, as their families are not able to care for them.
These life-changing funds will go towards WIZO’s day care centres, youth villages, vocational schools and shelters for women and children
escaping domestic violence, giving vulnerable Israelis the opportunity to create a better future for themselves.