Buy For Good Israel

Buy for Good, an Israeli social justice venture, is a marketplace that helps you support Israel and its people of all religions, all ethnicities and all backgrounds in a new way. All of Buy for Good's products are hand crafted by adults and children with physical, mental or developmental disabilities, or from under-resourced communities. They are employed by various workshops throughout Israel sponsored by nonprofit educational and vocational programs throughout the country. The endeavor nurtures talent, rewards perseverance, and bolsters the human spirit. These sponsoring organizations provide an environment that teaches skills, celebrates achievements, and builds confidence, self-esteem and self-respect. By purchasing an item crafted by Buy for Good artisans, you are buying an item that gives back: every purchase supports employment opportunities and job creation for those in need. Every purchase helps each of us to see beyond a person's disabilities and show respect for the artisan, celebrating with them their achievements. Each purchase helps these artisans acquire new skills and assists them as they integrate into the wider community where they can live full and productive lives. Currently, Buy for Good partners with 18 (Chai) separate organizations - 18 being the Jewish number to represent life! These organizations include:

Almaz is an entrepreneurial project for empowering Ethiopian women and men in Israel. The goal of the project is to develop and promote disadvantaged and unique communities and to preserve Ethiopian art, which is based on ancient ethnic embroideries that reflect traditional Ethiopian culture. The project employs a staff of Ethiopian embroidery artisans who keep these traditional Ethiopian art forms alive by creating embroidered works.

Derech H'Omanut assists artists dealing with mental health issues who are striving to heal and re-enter the work force and reintegrate into the community. Personal rehabilitative plans are created for each individual, and a conducive, positive and productive work environment allows daily and normative experiences while helping the artist develop job and social skills and habits necessary for success.

Dror Beit Hatotzer is a non-profit fine arts studio and gallery for artists affected by mental illness.  Dror helps about 60 artists every year rebuild their lives, reintegrate into the community and live independently following their discharge from psychiatric hospitalization. In the Studio the artists can pursue their art, refine their professional abilities and develop work skills in a safe creative space that suits their needs, builds their motivation and self-esteem, and establishes career pathways. The gallery also holds  joint exhibitions and activities with prominent Israeli artists  which promote social and professional ties and help eliminate social stigma towards mental illness.

Enosh, the Israeli Mental Health Association, was established in 1978 to support people with psychiatric disabilities and their family members. Purchasing Enosh products helps increase employment opportunities and financial well-being to its workers. All proceeds from sales directly benefit the workers.

Gvanim is a nonprofit organization that works to advance people dealing with mental disabilities by helping them to integrate into the community through creative work at a variety of workshops, such as arts and crafts, sewing, handling and packaging, ceramics and more. Gvanim's products are produced with love at vocational centers by people who are seeking an opportunity to be recognized and appreciated and to be able to live with respect among society.

Ma’arag is a vocational center that assists approximately 90 - 100 adults at a time with mental or emotional disabilities, autism, or who are severely disabled. A unique and singular initiative, Ma'arag relies on four major elements: Rehabilitative, Communal, Touristic and Occupational.  The enterprise runs a variety of occupational and vocational workshops, such as Multimedia for people with severe disabilities. Adults with special needs run their creative-decorative art workshops (ceramics, textile, carpentry, laser cutting and more) on a daily basis, working and earn a living.  Ma'arag is located in the Galilee on the northern periphery of Israel.

Shekel – Community Services for People with Special Needs is Israel's leading organization for integrating people with special needs into the community. 550 employees and 700 volunteers assist 8,000 people with special needs from every sector of Israeli society: Jews, Arabs, Christians, religious and secular. SHEKEL's vision is to develop community services for every person with a disability in order to enable independent functioning at home, work, and during leisure and social activities, allowing for a life of respect, self-fulfillment, inclusion and participation in the general community as people with equal rights.

Ta'asion Natanya is a vocational training center for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Located in Natanya, the center is both a professional working and social environment for 220 people with disabilities and a team of designers and vocational instructors. The workshop produces ceramics and glass artwork sold in local and international markets.

Yofi! Shel Matana (translation: a wonderful gift) is an art workshop set within a rehabilitative working center for people who suffer from mental and other disabilities. The creative process enables the exposure and expression of each individual's abilities, and creates equal social opportunities for the artist, in turn encouraging the recognition that all human beings are equal regardless of disability.

Ilan's Beit Miriam Center is a daycare rehabilitation center in Haifa Israel. Following a unique model, Beit Miriam emphasized occupational and social activities designed to improve the quality of life for people aged 18 -55 with severe disabilities. Purchasing Beit Miriam products helps increase employment opportunities and financial well-being to its workers. All proceeds from sales directly benefit the workers.

Youth of Light is a work venture to support at risk students, preparing youth for meaningful employment in future life. Part of the Meitar Youth Center in Ashkelon, the project was founded in 2005 by the Patrizio Paoletti Association for the Development and Communication in Israel and has continuously worked to encourage educational projects for the purpose of promoting dialogue and communication between people of different backgrounds.