There are approximately 300,000 youth in Israel who are at some level of risk. Elem has been reaching out to Israel's at-risk youth for over 25 years in a variety of creative and innovative ways. Their theory is that they cannot wait for the troubled youth to come to them, but rather, they have to be where the at-risk youth are.
Elem runs a variety of innovative projects that operate in over 20 cities in Israel. Some of their projects include coffee houses that are run and staffed by social workers, "Street Address" vans which are vans that drive through the streets at night looking for homeless youth, and a 5-star Kosher restaurant in Tel Aviv that is staffed by at-risk youth that Elem has taken from the streets and are being trained to be chefs.
Elem has saved many adolescents in severe states of risk and distress in its 25 years of existence, with the help of highly skilled professionals and through over 1,500 volunteers, who are working around the clock in Elem's vital projects throughout the country.
Through the "sympathetic ear", the love and warmth Elem offers to the youth, we assist them in abandoning the street life, returning to school and to a normative work circle and becoming contributing and productive citizens.
We in Elem aspire to bring out and fulfill the potential of every boy and girl, even in the most challenging circumstances.