Ninety-two Year Old Man Volunteers to Help the Elderly
Translation of article from Israeli newspaper, Yediot Aharonot
Most people who come to Yad Sarah House in Jerusalem come to borrow medical equipment – a walker, a wheelchair, an oxygen generator. Yechezkel Herman, a Holocaust survivor, comes every day to volunteer. “I tell everyone, just don’t stay at home. When you give to others, you get so much in return.”
Every day, many seniors come to the many branches of Yad Sarah to borrow equipment or to take advantage of one of Yad Sarah’s many other services. Yechezkel Herman, 92, and a resident of the capital, arrives at Yad Sarah’s main Jerusalem branch in order to be a part of its world of giving.
Herman worked for many years at a stationary store in the centre of Jerusalem. When he stopped working, he tried taking courses for retirees, but found his niche when he came to work in the equipment maintenance workshop at Yad Sarah House where he repairs wheelchairs, crutches, and other equipment..
“Yad Sarah keeps me connected to life. If I had stayed at home, I would have deteriorated. All the other volunteers at the workshop feel the same way I do. They want to give back to their community and when you give back, you get back so much.“
Yad Sarah founder Uri Lupolianski adds: “For 45 years, we have understood that Yad Sarah is not a volunteer organization but a group of volunteers who have an organization .The volunteers are not just the core of our organization, but our inspiration.“
