During the last few weeks, many families from the south and north of the country, who were forced to leave their homes and move to safer hotels in the center, are facing another big problem: on the surface it may be seen as a superficial hardship, but in reality it is significant: laundry.
As we know, the great majority of the families were evacuated in a hurry, some of them had nothing left to take and some were given a very limited time to collect personal and essential items. Those evacuees, who managed to take very few clothes with them, today have to wash them often in order to return and wear the same items - but clean. "Laundry for evacuees" is a project founded by Dr. Lehavit Akerman, in the framework of which washing machines and dryers were purchased and transferred to volunteers who undertook to collect the dirty laundry from the hotels in Tel Aviv and return them to their owners when they are clean and fragrant.
Dr. Akerman mobilized her staff from the clinics she owns for the benefit of the project and together with about 50 other volunteers from her hometown (Givat Shmuel and the surrounding area) they collect the dirty laundry bags, wash them, dry them, fold them and lovingly return them to the families when they are fragrant and clean.
"Am Yisrael revealed in its glory. Many volunteered immediately to help and support the residents who were evacuated from their homes to the center of the country. In addition to basic necessities such as: food, clothes, shoes, etc., they provide them with laundry services on a voluntary basis. The idea of the project is to take care of all the surrounding logistics in order for the evacuees to receive clean laundry twice a week," says Dr. Akerman. "We will take care of collecting the dirty laundry from the hotels, in the first phase only from Tel Aviv, to wash, dry and return it clean."
Commendation from the mayor
Akerman added: "I want to thank all those involved in the craft, Nechama Sorek, director of the Neve Savion clinic who donated a washing machine, the residents of Givat Shmuel who volunteered to wash, and my team that manages the logistics." In addition to the thanks and recognition that the project receives from the displaced families, Tel Aviv-Jaffa Mayor Ron Huldai, who was walking with the volunteers between the hotels in the city, stopped and remarked in praise: "Well done for the blessed initiative, we thank you for the impressive organization and execution."