Dganit Lux: Volunteering with Heart and Skill in the Gaza Envelope
Dganit Lux, 62, lives in Haifa and currently volunteers through the Shnat Sherut 50 Plus program in Moshav Maslul, part of the Merhavim Regional Council.
For the past 10 years, Dganit worked in program management, business development, and volunteer coordination at the Association for Economic Empowerment of Women — an organization supporting women across Israel, especially in the social and geographic periphery, to establish and manage small businesses.
Before that, and in parallel, she worked for over two decades in advertising and graphic design, both freelance and in firms, specializing in branding for commercial companies. She also facilitated group sessions, mostly with women — including evacuees from the north and parents of children with special needs.
As she was finishing her work with the association and looking for “what comes next,” the Shnat Sherut program came along “like a glove.” Her brother and his family — children and grandchildren — live in Kibbutz Re’im, and were severely affected by the events of October 7th. That personal connection was a driving force in her decision to join.
“It was important to me to get to know people from a different culture, to integrate into a region I didn’t know, to share the experience and knowledge I’ve gathered over the years, and to bring my own color to meaningful, long-term work,” she wrote.
Designing Recovery
Dganit currently volunteers at the Merhavim Community Center, contributing to the full rebranding of its departments, including marketing and publicity aimed at bringing the community back to the many programs on offer. She’s also been involved in designing the new building’s signage and wall art, and creating flyers and materials for conferences, lectures, and workshops.
She describes the work as meaningful, impactful, and appreciated — and says the collaboration with other Shnat Sherut members on regional community navigation projects has been especially fulfilling.
Support Beyond the Workplace
In the afternoons, Dganit also volunteers with a local family as a “grandma on loan” — supporting a woman going through a divorce with three young children. She spends time with the kids so their mother can focus on errands or work.
Over time, Dganit encouraged the mother to begin renovating her rented apartment. She now helps her make decisions, choose materials and contractors, and imagine a better space — with support from another Shnat Sherut volunteer who is a professional interior designer.
The initiative has been empowering for the woman, who now works on the project during any free moment. For Dganit, it’s created a warm, personal connection with a family in her new community.
The bond was beautifully summed up by the eldest daughter, who asked Dganit one day:
“I love it when you come to the kindergarten, but if you come to pick us up — who picks up your kids from their kindergarten?”