Although all of our volunteers are seasoned professionals, it is never an easy task to put people into communities that have experienced trauma. Our volunteers have ongoing training and support to help them:
- Understand the environments they are going into
- Provide them with additional tools to cope with what they might encounter
- Foster the sense of community within the group they are allocated to (according to the area in which they serve)
- Provide ongoing team building, learning and opportunities to reflect on their personal and group journeys
A New Beginning: Our First Orientation Day
On a warm Thursday morning in July, something powerful began to take shape. At the Neve Eshkol Day Center in the heart of the Eshkol Regional Council, the very first group of Shnat Sherut 50 Plus volunteers came together — not just to meet one another, but to begin stepping into a shared mission that will carry them through the coming year.
This wasn’t just a day of logistics. It was a day of purpose, people, and possibilities.
From the moment the coffee cups were filled and the first smiles exchanged, there was an unmistakable sense of energy in the room. People who had never met before were already talking like old friends. The morning opened with what we called “the big story” — a shared narrative about why this initiative exists, why now, and why each person in the room mattered.
Roundtables replaced lectures. Personal stories were shared. Tasks were tackled in small groups. And with each conversation, the vision of Shnat Sherut 50 Plus — a volunteer service year for experienced adults — began to crystallize not just as an idea, but as a lived, human experience.
Training with Purpose
The training was designed to be immersive and honest. What does it mean to serve in a community still healing from deep trauma? What does true partnership with local councils look like? And how do we ensure that volunteers — who bring a wealth of life experience — are matched to the right tasks, with the right support?
Sessions included collaborative challenges, facilitated conversations, and an afternoon tour of local communities. Volunteers heard directly from representatives of host councils about real needs on the ground — from early childhood support and elder care, to graphic design, event planning, and community rebuilding.
In the afternoon, a field visit brought the group face-to-face with the reality of post-October 7th recovery efforts. There were powerful moments — moments that asked us not only to look outward with compassion, but inward with courage.
The Learning Goes Both Ways
If we’ve learned anything from this first orientation, it’s that launching a program like this is as much about listening as it is about leading. Important logistical questions surfaced throughout the day — from volunteer housing and insurance coverage to the dynamics of working alongside professionals in the field.
Some topics require urgent action. Others invite deeper thought. And all of them remind us that this isn’t a one-size-fits-all model. It’s a living, breathing partnership between volunteers, communities, and the people supporting both.
Perhaps most importantly, this day confirmed that we’re on the right path. The atmosphere, the open curiosity, the thoughtful questions — they all signaled that something special is taking root.
Mid-Term Reflection Day
🌱 Tu Bishvat Learning Day – Growing Roots in Service
As part of our ongoing training and reflective practice, Shnat Sherut 50 Plus hosted a meaningful Learning Day in honor of Tu Bishvat—the festival of trees, growth, and renewal. This day provided our volunteers with space to reflect on their experiences and explore the deeper roots of their service.
Using the natural cycle of a tree as a guiding metaphor, participants were invited to map their journey in four parts:
• Nourishing Roots
Sources of strength, motivation, belonging, and inspiration.
• Barriers and Dry Soil
Frustrations, obstacles in the field, and challenges to integration or impact.
• Sturdy Branches
Structures that provide support and stability: housing, weekly group sessions, community life, and shared routines.
• Blossoms and Fruits
Achievements, relationships, personal growth, and visible community impact.
🌼 Insights That Matter
The day was both emotionally powerful and practically informative. Volunteers shared openly, and from these conversations, key themes emerged:
- A strong sense of belonging and purpose fuels resilience and motivation.
- Volunteers are making an impact across fields:
– Intergenerational programs
– Elder care
– Community mapping and navigation
– Strengthening local teams and infrastructure - Challenges remain in the areas of:
– Onboarding and role clarity
– Bureaucratic processes
– Expectation-setting
– Flexibility for placement changes
Volunteers also reflected on the need for longer or continued involvement beyond one year and discussed how to better support couples in the program when roles are unevenly defined.
🌿 Learning Together, Growing Together
Tu Bishvat Learning Day was a powerful reminder that service is a living, growing journey—rooted in values and sustained by community. It reinforced one of our core training principles: that ongoing reflection, dialogue, and adaptability are essential to meaningful impact.
This is Shnat Sherut 50 Plus in action: learning from the field, supporting one another, and growing stronger together—season by season.