With every knock at the door, specially-trained volunteers bring a weekly dose of comfort and caring to terminally ill patients and their families throughout the country. These volunteers provide an empathetic ear to all sectors of society, offering abundant spiritual care, love and practical relief to patients and their loved ones.
The volunteer and the ailing patient often build a close relationship. The volunteers provide an outlet whereby the client can talk about their illness and fears, and share feelings that they find difficult to express to their family. Visits by Tomchim volunteers also provide a needed reprieve for the family caregivers, allowing them time to take care of their own physical and emotional needs.
The volunteers are mature men and women who hail from all walks of life – religious, secular, Ashkenazi, Sephardi – and come from all parts of the country. Before being accepted to the program, applicants are carefully screened and interviewed to ensure that they can cope with this sensitive work.
They are then required to attend an intensive 25-hour training course. Tomchim volunteers, upon receiving permission from the terminally ill patient and/or their family, visit the patient in their home, according to their needs, (generally once a week).
Each case is carefully supervised and monitored by Nitza Goldish, the program coordinator, who is a professional social worker. For the patient, that knock on the door by a Tomchim volunteer is often the highlight of their week. The relationship that is forged is often gratifying and meaningful to both the volunteer and patient.
Where We Do It
"Tomchim" has established working partnerships with many local and regional organizations throughout Israel. All populations are treated with a great awareness of the local area's culture, economic standing and community coherence.
You can contact HaTomechet's representative in the following areas: Ashdod, Afula, Haifa, Petach Tikva, Ramat Gan, Greater Jerusalem, Beit Shemesh. Click here for details.
Why We Do It
The critical needs of men and women, across the social spectrum, at the end-of-life stages are multifaceted and complex. These needs range from seeking proper professional home or hospice care, companionship for the patient, relief for over-burdened family caregivers, to practical help sorting out both technical and emotional issues with the family.
Volunteers provide a "listening ear" to the patient, while freeing the family from 24/7 care. They are able to open up unique avenues of communication precisely because they are not professionals.
NEXT COURSE
Join our next volunteer training to be held in the Ashdod/Rechovot area
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