A home for lone soldiers – If there is something that we all say and pray for when our children are born, it is that our children will no longer go to the army. However, we see how generation after generation, we all enlist. Women and men, from all cities and settlements in the country, upon reaching the age of 18, leave everything and contribute their part to the army.
Some choose to do this as a profession for life while others, after completing their mandatory service, are discharged and enter civilian life. Alongside all these, there is another group of amazing young people and they are: the lone soldiers. According to the definition, we see that lone soldiers are soldiers who, due to various reasons, have no connection with their families.
This can be a soldier who lives in Israel but has no family, or it can be a soldier who came especially from abroad. In such a case, although the soldier has a family, they stay abroad, and therefore that soldier actually lives alone in the country. Anyone who has taken part in military service knows: all we dream about in the field is home. We want to return to the warm home, the tasty food, and our comfortable bed.
However, lone soldiers have nowhere to return to, and therefore a warm home for soldiers is a real mitzvah. Every young person serving in the army wants, after a few weeks on base or in the field, to get to a more comfortable place. However, where can a lone soldier go if no one is waiting for them? Therefore, establishing homes intended for lone soldiers is the best way to deal with this complex issue.
What Does a Home for Lone Soldiers Include?
Of course, the IDF offers good conditions and benefits for lone soldiers. Many times, the IDF can participate in rent or accommodate lone soldiers in apartments designated for this purpose. However, we see that in practice, things look a bit different. Many times, lone soldiers have no place at all in these apartments, and often they need to go through too much bureaucracy until receiving the conditions they deserve.
In contrast, in a home intended for lone soldiers, things look different. The soldiers arrive, take part, and feel at home from the first moment. When trying to understand what exactly a home for lone soldiers includes, we see that there are different possibilities. There are homes for lone soldiers that include only a place to sleep, but there are also homes that offer much more than that.
This can be a home that has a whole atmosphere, with a variety of citizens who come, contribute, and take part. In addition, homes for lone soldiers are also intended for the period that comes immediately after military service. There is no doubt that lone soldiers also need emotional support: whether during service or after it.
Therefore, in a home intended for lone soldiers, the idea is to also provide emotional support and framework. In this way, the lone soldier knows that they are alone and without their family, but they do not feel alone. This is very significant and it changes the entire experience, so the importance of the matter is great.
How to Establish a Home Intended for Lone Soldiers?
This is a very big challenge. First, establishing a warm home for soldiers requires a clear plan, and second, of course, you also need a designated area. Beyond all these, you also need a clear budget, because without a budget, we will have no possibility to succeed in the mission. The more complex and ambitious the vision, the more volunteers and different professionals are needed to take part.
There are indeed various budgets that the state often allocates to homes intended for lone soldiers, but this is usually not enough. Therefore, it can be seen that often the establishment and operation of homes for lone soldiers rely on donations from various citizens. To establish a functioning and high-level home for lone soldiers, countless different factors must be taken into account.
Where will the home be located? What will it offer to lone soldiers? Who will operate it? Who will be able to bear the costs? All these questions, and many others, are part of the process of establishing a home for lone soldiers. Therefore, it can definitely be said that this is a long-term project in which many people and experts take part.
Beit Almog Shiloni – A Home for Every Lone Soldier
Are you at a point today where you want to take part in a special project of establishing a warm home for lone soldiers? You have come to exactly the right place! Beit Almog Shiloni, named after Almog Shiloni of blessed memory, will be established in the future on the outskirts of Wadi Anaba in Modi’in. There are already plans and the area on which the center for lone soldiers will be built will include 6 whole dunams! In the plan, you can see that there will be 16 villas here, where 6 soldiers will live in each building, and each lone soldier will have their own room.
In this way, every lone soldier who comes to this home will feel comfortable. The building will also have shared spaces such as a living room, kitchen, and various corners of inspiration. The center will suit everyone and receive everyone, exactly in accordance with the spirit of the IDF – our people’s army.
