Helping homeless youth around the clock

Monday, June 22nd, 2009 | posted by

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Shanti House is open 24/7/365

What would you do if you were eighteen, alone and homeless in Tel Aviv? If you were fortunate, you would find your way to the Shanti House, in Tel Aviv’s Neve Tzedek, and be welcomed with open arms.

“We accept these kids 24/7/365”, says Mariuma Ben Yosef, who established the home around 25 years ago, so she opened her home to young people looking for a place to sleep and eat. At that time no frameworks existed to provide a response to the problems of “street youth”, and even today it is the only home of its kind in Israel that accepts young people between the ages of 18-21. Shanti House cares for teens who are at immediate risk of physical violence, sexual abuse, criminality, prostitution and the like. Mariuma felt a personal responsibility to offer a solution for these young people and beyond finding places for them to sleep, she began to develop her vision of a unique activities and “Shantherapy” treatments, many of which are provided by volunteer professionals. She has since received the President’s Award for Volunteerism and the Tel Aviv Municipality award of Honorary Citizenship.

Every young person who shows up at Shanti House, receives a reception package, containing $150 of new sheets, towels, underwear, a toiletries kit and gift vouchers accepted by clothing stores. Mariuma Ben Yosef stresses that this package is theirs to keep, whether they leave the following day or stay for the next five years. Between 35-45 young people aged 14-21 stay at Shanti House at any given time. There are folding beds and mattresses in stock, so that they never have to turn anyone away.

Ideally, within a week of their arrival and lots of emotional and practical assistance, the young people reconnect to their family and return to their homes or framework from which they ran away. But when this is not possible, Shanti House may become their home for years – many Shanti kids are serving in the IDF but still come “home” on leave.

This unique home was named by one of the girls sheltering there in its early days, who said, “I feel so shanti here”. She explained “shanti” as meaning, “love, calm and peace.” Another youth took a can of black spray paint and wrote on the wall “Welcome to Shanti House”. And thus Shanti House was named.

Shanti is also about helping young people to reach their dreams. This summer, as part of the Tel Aviv Centennial celebrations, members of the Shanti House therapeutic drumming circle have been invited to play together with the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, in a concert conducted by Zubin Mehta.

When young people become part of the Shanti family, they not only receive but also learn to give and help others by visiting hospitals and homes for the elderly, distributing food packages to the needy, and participating in social action projects. Irit Behr, responsible for foreign relations at Shanti House, says, “Our young people know that 85% of their help comes from private donations. Not only their clothes and food, but also from the volunteers who give free therapeutic classes and private tutoring. We actively encourage them to volunteer, to learn the value of giving…and they feel really good about it.”