'Don8 2 those who can't hear u now'

Today, a new nationwide donations hotline shared by charities caring for the hearing impaired will start operating. Those who wish to give money will be able to do so simply by sending a text message, one of the nation's favorite forms of communication.

In two weeks, the nation will mark a day for the hearing impaired. On that occasion, smiling teenage volunteers, with intentions both good and unaware of what they're raising money for, will knock on our doors and ask us to give a little.

But charities for the hearing impaired, which generally do well for their cause, are gearing up for weak collections in the face of the growing financial crisis.

Some tens of thousands of deaf people and 600,000 hearing impaired live in Israel.

The state apparently only recognizes people as being deaf until the age of 18.

Afterwards they miraculously begin to hear according to the government's calculation.

How else can one explain that the stipend for deaf children ends when they turn that age? Adult deaf people with employment receive a NIS 311 "communications stipend" a month while the unemployed receive NIS 342.

It's highly unlikely that with those sums, they are their banks' favorite customers. As though that weren't bad enough, stipends are further reduced by 25 percent when the deaf reach old age. Lawmakers' logic that the older one gets the less financial aid they need is truly astonishing.

Charity groups are left to fill the void left by the state. The Ray of Sun project, run by The Institute for the Advancement of Deaf Persons in Israel together with the Mehalev company, gives Holocaust survivors who are hard of hearing free hearing aids. The Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims in Israel also provides the same service, but bureaucracy sometimes means the hearing aids take months to be delivered.

In addition, the Ray of Sun project attempts to seek out Holocaust survivors who might be unaware that they need hearing aids or who might not know they are given out gratis. Because no comprehensive list of Holocaust survivors in Israel exists, it is very difficult to reach out to these individuals. It may be the government's job to provide for the hearing impaired, but it does not mean we cannot help as individuals.

Those interested in making donations can do so by sending a text message with the number 10 to 2374 or by phoning 1-700-707-191.

Uphill climb to a first-floor apartment

Last week this column told the story of Kochava Roi. Her apartment in Rehovot's Kiryat Moshe neighborhood, owned by the Amidar housing company, was burnt down.

The conflagration was the last blow in Roi's troubled life. She managed to salvage only a few possessions.

Rehovot's welfare department organized accommodation for Roi at a nursing home. Accommodations for her son Amir were not found and he had to spend his nights on the ashen floor of the burnt apartment. The welfare department of Amidar said it would renovate the apartment within two months and that Roi and her son must find temporary accommodation for themselves.

Roi, who is disabled, lived in an apartment on the fourth floor of a building with no elevator. Nobody thought now might be the right time to find her an apartment with easier access.

All it took was one phone call made the day after the story was published to Eran Cohen, an official at Amidar and suddenly Roi was shown a number of apartments that she could choose from. Apparently, Amidar has many vacant apartments with better access. She picked a small apartment in Lod and thought she could finally rest.

But the apartment was in abysmal condition. Amidar is required by law to renovate it and again, Roi is looking for a place to stay for the next month until renovations of her apartment are completed. She cannot be put in a nursing home because she is too young.

Even when the system is working it functions slowly and laboriously. Over the past 12 years the government has not built any new public housing projects and as a result those seeking public housing face a long waiting list.

Those hoping for public housing must await the death of those currently living in the state-owned buildings. In light of the dire situation it is not clear why the few vacant apartments in the periphery or less attractive places to live like Lod cannot all be renovated and populated by new residents. Why wasn't Roi's temporary apartment renovated during the months it was empty? Why is bureaucracy always harder on the already weak?

After the story was published quite a few kind people called and wished to donate clothes, electronic devices and even some money to Roi, all things the welfare services neglected to do. Even though state support is vanishing, it warms the heart to hear about good people willing to lend a hand.

Thanks also to Eran Cohen of Amidar for his help.