Mayor of Jerusalem Recognizes Supported Employees in Groundbreaking

In a ceremony hosted by the Mayor of Jerusalem on November 7th, the work of outstanding employees with disabilities who have made a major contribution to Jerusalem's sports fields as part of a three-way partnership among the City of Jerusalem, Aroma Espresso Bar Israel Ltd. and Israel Elwyn was recognized. Other attendees included senior Aroma executives, officials from the City of Jerusalem and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Social Services, families of the supported employees, and Israel Elwyn (IE) staff and management.

The unique public-private partnership, whose aim is to maintain and restore some 100 sports fields and recreation sites in Jerusalem, was initiated by Aroma, under the leadership of Yariv Shefa, the chain's Chairperson and Founder. Two teams of four Aroma employees with special needs and an IE team leader and job coach travel to sites throughout Jerusalem, where they clear away weeds and debris, repair and paint equipment and benches and replant gardens in parks, playgrounds and school athletic fields. In the process, the workers have learned to work with pruning shears and leaf blowers and know the 'ins and outs' of recycling paper and plastic.

The project's influence is widespread. The physical appearance of these sites has been upgraded and their use has grown and the supported workers are employed in jobs they enjoy. In addition, students at local schools have had what is for some their first exposure to people with disabilities and, in working side by side to improve the condition of school playing fields, have come to appreciate that we are all members of the same community.

Aroma employs the workers, who join the many dozens of other people with disabilities employed since 1996 at Aroma's more than 100 branches throughout Israel. Many of these determined individuals with disabilities have been placed and supported in their jobs by Israel Elwyn for many years, resulting last year in the fact that IE was chosen as Aroma's community partner.