While hospitals in Israel often receive gifts from different organizations and individuals during holiday seasons, one department at Rambam Health Care Campus decided to do the opposite, instead choosing to pay it forward.
Members of the Purchasing Department deliver Mishloach Manot to IDF soldiers. Photography: Rambam HCC
Hundreds of Mishloach Manot (festive gift baskets traditionally exchanged during the Purim holiday) prepared by the staff in the Purchasing Department at Rambam Health Care Campus are currently being distributed by the department's employees at various community centers in the northern region. The project is part of the department’s initiative to give back to the local communities during these challenging times. The creation and distribution of the Mishloach Manot was made possible after the department successfully raised thousands of shekels from private parties, designated specifically for this special project.
Among those receiving the festive, colorful baskets filled with sweets and baked goods are at-risk youth in the Gilam residence and the Opposites Project; Magen David Adom volunteers; IDF soldiers in the COVID-19 facility in the Sammy Ofer Fortified Underground Emergency Hospital; women’s shelters, and many more.
“Rambam's Purchasing Department sees contributing to the community as a core value woven into the department's daily life and in dedicated projects,” explains Adv. Liat Getz Ben-Izhak, the department’s Director. “The department sees itself as a messenger of the organization it represents – Rambam Health Care Campus, which is committed to reaching out to every person, both to save lives and to save souls.”
The Mishloach Manot delivery project is part of a longstanding tradition of the Purchasing Department, which initiates and promotes various social involvement projects, as well as taking part in existing initiatives. In the past, the department donated socks to hospitalized adults, and took an active part in the “Sweets for the Soul” project – delivering cakes to COVID-19 medical teams. Team members also joined a running group comprised of many visually impaired runners as part of the Aleh Association.
“Ahead of Purim, and especially at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic is creating a reality of social distancing, it is especially important for us to reach out and strengthen ties with the community in which we live,” notes Amir Mark and Lital Bezalel, project leaders in the Purchasing Department. “It is a circle of giving and generosity that always comes back to us.”
Enjoy watching how this fun project was carried out by clicking on the picture below.
