Help Israel's Evacuated Teens

Heal in Nature

In the aftermath of the October 7^th attacks, thousands of teenagers, together with their families, fled their homes in terror. Torn from their previous lives, they were evacuated to live in crowded hotel rooms and lobbies, together with all the members of their family, in a physical and emotional pressure cooker. Many had suffered terrible personal losses and trauma. Overnight, they were transformed - from teenagers to youth at risk. 

The vast majority of them still do not have school and for a minority of them where schools are accessible, they are often depressed or anxious and cannot summon the motivation to attend.

Instead, these teenagers, 16-18, search for ways to numb their pain and fill the void inside themselves. Sadly, drugs and alcohol are tempting and easily accessible.

SPNI has stepped in to help by offering emotionally raw kids a three-day exhilarating and challenging outdoor camp in the heart of the desert’s austere nature.

In the words of the parent of a participant in one of our first camps, “the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel may not seem the most obvious organization to help, but they gave us exactly what we needed.”

Indeed, SPNI, Israel’s oldest and largest environmental NGO, has been working with families of evacuees since the day after the attacks, opening up our Field Schools as shelters for over 200 families. Thanks to our existing expertise and infrastructure in education, we provided a schedule of on-site activities and trips in nature to boost the resilience and mental health of Israel’s internally displaced population.

It is clear that teenagers cooped up in hotels now need urgent help to regain a sense of control over themselves and their bodies, and one of the most potent ways to do this is to help them generate “healthy adrenaline.”

With our 70 years of experience, we are uniquely qualified to help them heal themselves in nature, but we can’t do this without your help.

So, please donate now to help these at-risk youth heal in nature.

Your generous gift will be used to host 400 teens on three-day/two-night overnight camps in the desert wilderness of the Ramon crater.

Our exhilarating program of rock climbing, desert trekking, and stargazing helps teens breathe more deeply and generally feel better.

Without cellphone reception in the desert, the teens engage naturally with each other and their surroundings, joking, laughing and flirting. For the first time in two months, they can be a group of regular teenagers.

All trips are held with the approval of Israel’s Homefront Command and the Ministry of Education’s situation room for outdoor activities, operated by SPNI.

So far, we have held two camps for 80 participants. Their parents were understandably highly reluctant to agree to let their children be away from them overnight. However, upon their safe return and seeing the positive change in their physical and mental state, we are now overwhelmed with parents wanting their children to be part of this healing experience.

Please donate to help 400 16-18 year boys and girls heal in nature and strengthen their bodies, minds and souls in their darkest hour. Thank you.

Please click here to donate in other currencies - https://secured.israelgives.org/en/pay/SPNI