Project Spotlight: The Fellowship Hotline

The Fellowship  |  May 16, 2016

Following successful completion as a pilot program during the past several months, The Fellowship Hotline was officially launched recently in Jerusalem. It is the first ever such service offered in Israel.

The Fellowship Hotline receives individual requests from, and provides solutions to, Israeli citizens throughout the country living in crisis conditions related to their social welfare. Callers ask for help with food, clothing, medical aid, employment, furniture, housing, legal assistance, and more.

The hotline operates based on cooperative partnerships with about 170 Israeli non-profits and other nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). About 75% of the callers to the hotline make use of the referral and contact the NGO to which they are referred.

For others who express an urgent need, The Fellowship‘s social service coordinators review each person’s request immediately, and they then coordinate with the appropriate organization(s) to provide the help being requested. In most instances, the referrals are handled by volunteers who go to the person’s home to assess their needs. They either provide assistance or follow up with one or more NGOs to ensure the person receives the needed assistance.

During the pilot phase, The Fellowship Hotline received 10,000 requests for assistance. The goal now is to field 10,000 requests per month as the program becomes better known. Currently 20 hotline operators are providing this service.