YEDID - The Association for Community Empowerment

YEDID ("friend" in Hebrew) was established in 1997 to promote social justice in Israel through a national network of Citizen Rights Centers in poor communities throughout Israel. YEDID is the only national organization in Israel that empowers Israelis to break the cycle of poverty through free individual legal and social assistance, community education initiatives and grassroots organizing for social change. Since its founding, YEDID has served over 200,000 low-income Israelis from across the spectrum of Israel's multicultural society. In ten years, through its 26 Citizen Rights Centers Satellite Offices, YEDID has had a significant impact upon communities and citizens from Dimona to Kiryat Shmona. In 2007 YEDID provided real solutions to the pressing problems of nearly 34,000 Israelis. The most frequent cases involved education, housing, employment, healthcare, and debt. In recognition of YEDID's national impact, in 2004 YEDID won the prestigious Sderot Conference Award for Social Responsibility. In 2006 Sari Revkin, founder and Executive Director, won Jewish Women International's "Woman of Note" award and in 2005 she was named one of Israel's 50 most influential women by Globes magazine (Israel's Wall Street Journal).