At AKIM WE don't strive
for inclusion, WE CREATE IT.

Be our partner in making inclusion and belonging
a reality for thousands of individuals with
intellectual disabilities.

Secure donation to Friends of AKIM USA

Friends of AKIM USA, Inc. is a registered non-profit organization in USA ( EIN #: 11-2499314 ).
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Santander Bank
SWIFT (or BIC code): SVRNUS33
Routing # 231372691 Account # 9539400430

Donor-Advised Fund: Friends of AKIM USA EIN #: 11-2499314

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Payable to
Friends of AKIM USA
and mail to
634 Eagle Rock Avenue, Suite 266, West Orange, NJ 07052

For donations in Israel, UK and Canada :

AKIM Israel

AKIM Israel is a national, person-centered organization representing and supporting individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families while safeguarding rights and freedoms.
The organization works towards the inclusion of 35,000 persons with intellectual disabilities in all facets of society, providing tools for achieving maximum independence.

AKIM operates 67 branches throughout the country, in both Jewish and Arab sectors, managed by parent and volunteer boards with the support and guidance of 900 professionals.

Housing

AKIM believes that every person with intellectual disability has the right to live in the community, in housing that suits their diverse and evolving needs. Until the 1970s, adults with intellectual disabilities resided in institutional settings often isolated outside of urban areas. Over the past decades, this perception has shifted significantly, largely due to AKIM’s advocacy work.

Guided by a person-centered approach, our Community Housing division provides for 540 people living in 44 apartments and 12 modern hostels in neighborhoods spanning from Tzfat to Eilat, so persons with disability can live in the community.

Employment

The opportunity to be included in the workforce is a significant component in the life of every individual, even more so when it comes to persons with intellectual disabilities. We believe in creating a work environment that enables individuals to fulfill their potential while maintaining a continuous upward employment trajectory that allows for flexibility according to their changing abilities.

AKIM operates a wide range of employment opportunities tailored to the vocational abilities of each individual, including supported employment in the workforce, and specialized training programs in cooperation with leading academic centers via AKIM College.

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Culture and leisure

AKIM sees cultural and social activities, along with having a healthy lifestyle, as crucial contributors to quality of life. With over 30 years of experience, AKIM has been developing a rich variety of activities in the fields of culture, art, and sports aimed at enriching and empowering persons with disabilities and including them in the community.

Among the activities offered: are leisure clubs, aftercare (extended day) programs for children, adolescents, and young adults (ages 3-21), day camps during the school breaks, and more.

Military Service – Equal in Uniform

Young adults with disabilities were exempt from the national service. To advance their desire for inclusion and not exemption AKIM launched in a unique and innovative partnership with the Israeli Defense Forces the Equal in Uniform program in 2006. Today, the program operates on 48 IDF bases with 180 active volunteers in the IDF and 1,200 alumni.

The program is a catalyst for change advancing AKIM’s mission to create an “equal in everything” society. By sharing experiences and serving shoulder to shoulder, IDF personnel with and without disabilities bond over their likenesses and learn about their differences. Program participants illuminate the challenges for those living with disabilities while simultaneously highlighting their capacity to overcome them.

Family and Community

AKIM provides an array of services to help families while ensuring a high quality of life within the community for children with intellectual disability. AKIM’s Parents to Parents Support Hotline, P2P, serves as an emotional lifeline and comprehensive resource for advice and support for parents – by parents. Since 2002, P2P has ensured that help is never more than a call away.

AKIM also supports working families, providing safe and caring Aftercare Programs. Working parents understand the challenges of balancing professional and family life, but for parents of children with intellectual disabilities finding solutions to meet their special needs can be especially daunting. With the Israeli Special Education school day concluding by 2:00 pm, many working parents are left scrambling to find suitable and safe arrangements for their children.

AKIM Fund

Persons with intellectual disabilities face unique challenges and barriers to full participation in society. Many individuals experience social isolation, discrimination, and a lack of support services. The AKIM AID FUND was established as part of community advocacy activities, aimed at directly improving the quality of life of those with IDD and their families by providing targeted financial assistance for essential and urgent needs. The assistance is utilized to ensure that the person can live at home, thus remaining in the community.

Families that apply for aid face a dual challenge: often they are in a low socioeconomic standing while facing the challenge of providing for a child with intellectual disabilities requiring many resources. Each year AKIM allocates more than $150,000 toward the direct needs of families nationwide.