In April, the Smart Hesed program supported people facing difficult life circumstances by assisting with benefit applications, providing food aid, offering legal support, opening cases with social services, and helping resolve urgent everyday issues.
Actual assistance (including one year of new benefits):
192,600 ₪
This amount includes:
- One-time financial payments and approved benefits
- Market value of services provided (legal support, document preparation, case management)
- Food assistance (an average of ~1,000 ₪ per month per case)
- Subsidies, discounts, and other forms of government support obtained with the foundation’s assistance
Long-term benefit (beyond the first year) from already approved benefits:
48,000 ₪
At this stage, one case has been recorded with a confirmed long-term benefit:
a monthly payment of 4,000 ₪, equal to 48,000 ₪ per year beyond the first year of receiving the benefit.
Potential annual benefit (for applications currently under review):
72,000 ₪
The estimate is based on the following assumptions:
- 3 cases are in the process of benefit approval with a high likelihood of success
- Estimated average benefit — ~2,000 ₪/month
Annual estimate:
2,000 × 12 × 3 = 72,000 ₪
1. I. 38 years old. Tel Aviv
I. initially contacted us for help in receiving payments during unpaid leave (halat). Due to the Second Iranian War, I. could no longer continue working and was sent on leave. Our social worker helped collect all the necessary documents from the employer. Everything was submitted to Bituach Leumi, and I. received the halat payments. We also arranged for him to receive food assistance twice a week.
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Food — ~4,000 ₪
Unemployment benefit — ~24,000 ₪ (≈2,000 ₪ × 12)
Total: 30,500 ₪
2. S. 52 years old. Ashkelon
S. is a new immigrant who arrived from Russia with her husband and children. Her older child has a severe disability and autism with very limited functioning. In order to place him in a specialized residential facility, it was necessary to obtain legal guardianship for him. The wait for guardianship proceedings can be a year or more. Our social worker managed to secure an appointment for early June. After guardianship is obtained, the boy will immediately be placed in an appropriate residential facility.
Legal support — 3,500 ₪
Total: 3,500 ₪
3. A. 41 years old. Netanya
A. found herself in a difficult financial situation and asked for help with food assistance and clothing for her 14-year-old daughter. On the very day she contacted us, we were able to find clothing for the girl through our social media. Our social worker helped A. collect all the documents and open a case with social welfare services. A. has already begun receiving food assistance twice a week: once with fresh vegetables and meat, and once with grains and canned goods.
Food — ~4,000 ₪
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Clothing — 1,000 ₪
Total: 7,500 ₪
4. I. 54 years old. Petah Tikva
I. contacted the foundation asking for help in applying for all state benefits. She said she had approached every relevant institution but had not been able to obtain anything. She also said that she had cancer and a severe disability. Our social worker reviewed all her documents and found that the cancer diagnosis was not confirmed, and that social services and welfare services had tried to help her, but she had not responded. After gathering all the information, we were able to open a case for her with social welfare services, which has now begun monitoring her situation because she urgently needs psychiatric help and medication-based treatment.
Support and documents — 3,000 ₪
Total: 3,000 ₪
5. Kh. 40 years old. Jerusalem
Kh. is a new immigrant. Her younger daughter was diagnosed with severe scoliosis and underwent a very complicated surgery, and just one month later, her older daughter was diagnosed with Hodgkin lymphoma. Our social worker collected all the documents and submitted an application to a Bituach Leumi committee so that the older daughter could receive temporary disability status during treatment. The social worker also submitted documents to register Kh. herself as a caregiver (metapelet) for her younger daughter, because the girl is not yet able to move independently. Kh. has already received caregiver status for her daughter and will receive payment for this care. The committee for her older daughter is scheduled for May 19. We will continue supporting the family until the disability benefit is granted.
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Caregiver / metapelet (part-time) — ~24,000 ₪ (≈2,000 ₪ × 12)
Total: 26,500 ₪
Potential: child disability benefit
6. M. 30 years old. Jerusalem
M. contacted us for legal assistance. She had questions regarding divorce. The foundation does not have an in-house lawyer, but our social worker collected all the necessary documents and helped M. receive assistance from a free legal aid lawyer. The lawyer provided an extensive consultation and helped M. prepare a pre-trial agreement.
Legal assistance — 2,500 ₪
Total: 2,500 ₪
7. Sh. 87 years old. Lod
Sh. is an elderly man without family. He became a victim of fraud: scammers deceived him and stole all his savings, approximately 40,000 shekels. He asked for help arranging food assistance because he was left without means of support. First, we helped file a police complaint about the theft. Second, we submitted all the documents to Bituach Leumi so that he could receive metapelet assistance. Third, we arranged for him to receive food support from the Lod welfare services. We will continue accompanying Sh. until he receives everything he needs.
Food — ~4,000 ₪
Legal assistance — 1,200 ₪
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Total: 7,700 ₪
8. P. 39 years old. Tel Aviv
We have been working with P. for a long time. She initially contacted us for help obtaining disability benefits due to a severe psychiatric diagnosis and also requested food assistance. Back in December, our social worker arranged for her to receive fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as chicken and fish, from the Tel Aviv welfare services. The social worker also submitted all the documents for disability recognition. Together with P., we went through two Bituach Leumi committees, and as a result P. received a monthly benefit of 4,000 shekels.
Food — ~4,000 ₪
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Benefit — 4,000 ₪ × 12 = 48,000 ₪
Total: 54,500 ₪
Long-term benefit: 48,000 ₪ annually
9. A. 74 years old. Ashdod.
After a hip fracture, A. did not regain full mobility and now has to use a wheelchair. She lived on the first floor of an old building that did not even have a ramp for wheelchair access. Our social worker collected all the documents and submitted a request to the municipality to resolve the ramp issue. A ramp was installed in A.’s building, and we also collected all the documents needed to improve A.’s housing conditions, since there was also no wheelchair access inside the home. We will continue working with A. until her home becomes suitable for her needs.
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Ramp and improvements — ~8,000 ₪
Total: 10,500 ₪
10. R. 29 years old. Sderot.
After her divorce, R. was left with almost nothing. She had a massage studio at home and worked in physiotherapy. After the divorce, all the equipment had to be sold to cover shared debts. We helped R. contact the Ogen organization, where she received an interest-free loan to purchase new equipment and reopen her massage studio. We also arranged a free lawyer consultation for her to review certain issues related to the shared debts with her ex-husband.
Legal assistance — 2,500 ₪
Support (loan/startup) — ~10,000 ₪
Total: 12,500 ₪
11. L. 24 years old. Ashkelon.
L. is a new immigrant and a single mother. She contacted us for help obtaining a Bituach Leumi benefit and receiving food assistance. We opened a case for L. with social welfare services, and she received a daycare subsidy for her daughter. We also arranged food assistance from the Ashkelon municipality. She now receives ready-made meals three times a week. We also submitted her documents to a committee for a Bituach Leumi benefit. The committee is scheduled for early June. We will continue helping L. until she receives everything she is entitled to from the state.
Food — ~4,000 ₪
Documents — 2,500 ₪
Daycare subsidy — 12,000 ₪
Total: 18,500 ₪
TOTAL:
- Actual assistance (including one year of new benefits): 192,600 ₪
- Long-term benefit (beyond the first year): 48,000 ₪
- Potential annual benefit (for applications in process): 72,000 ₪