American Friends of ELEM

Founded in 1982, ELEM/Youth in Distress in Israel is the country’s leading nonprofit organization dedicated to treating and transforming the lives of troubled youth. ELEM’s 280 professionals and more than 1,700 volunteers don't wait for referrals to treat these youth, but seek them out on their turf -- on the streets, in schools, on the Internet and at bars and nightclubs. The 25,000 young people we serve annually and the additional 100,000 youth who reach out to ELEM online each year face tremendous challenges, such as: domestic violence, substance abuse, neglect, bullying, homelessness and prostitution. ELEM works with secular and religious Jews; Christian and Muslim Arabs including Bedouins; immigrants, including those from the Former Soviet Union and Ethiopia; and the LGBT community. Many live on the streets and most of them will not seek help from traditional social service groups. Our 78 programs in 43 cities provide counseling, mentoring, vocational training and a safe space for Israeli youth to envision a positive future for themselves and become productive members of Israeli society.