Are there programs for seniors who want to volunteer?

Posted by Elaine Orent 8 years 3 months ago

We are two senior women who want to spend part of our time in Israel (1 week) doing volunteer work.

Answers

I had a wonderful experience in Jerusalem. Not only the rep from GoEco was extremely attentive, helpful, well informed, really a special person (Yan), but the project where I volunteered was wonderful.

I worked in a greenhouse, part of the activities of a special school. The work itself is very easy. My usual routine at home has more to do with brain work (translation), so to work with gardening, cleaning, arranging stuff was the perfect change of pace for me. Not to mention the project managers (as I think they are called). They are very sweet. Simple. Blessed people. And funny. (That means, intelligent.)

The only thing I would have to complain of has nothing to do with GoEco. That refers to accomodation. It wouldn't be possible for me to stay in a hotel, and I didn't want an 8-person dormitory either. So I stayed at a kind of boarding house. Although that was nice and gave me the chance to know more about Hebrew costumes, which I loved (I'm not Jewish nor anything, for that matter), that place in particular usually has a guest who is totally nuts. And she would make difficult the lives of everyone, myself included. I wouldn't recommend the place if this lady is there (I was told she usually spends some time there every year).

Apart from that, I felt perfectly safe in Jerusalem. Public transport is impeccable.
I would love to go back. But there are other places on Earth that I would like to know, so...

Thanks. I'll send this to my friend. Where in Jerusalem was this greenhouse?