When the pain is just too hard to bear.

The Heart Will Find Goodness Again When the pain is just too hard to bear — we are here  There are moments when the heart just can't hold it all. Memories come rushing in. The pain resurfaces. The loneliness aches. Every day, at the HaSharon Sexual Assault Crisis Center, we encounter this pain. But not only the pain. We also hear the breathing beginning to ease, the silence beginning to break — We see moments when things begin to soothe, even if it’s just for a moment: “After the assault, my heart couldn’t believe in anything good. I didn’t trust. I didn’t speak. I kept it all inside.” “You all listen to me here. Truly. You don’t ask me to explain. You just let me be.” “Talking to you gives me space to breathe.” “At the Crisis Center — you help my aching heart find goodness again.” In recent years, and especially since the war began, the number and severity of calls we receive have risen significantly. To ensure that no one is left alone, we’ve expanded both our online and in-person support services. Every day, especially since October 7th, we speak with survivors who are experiencing an intensification of post-traumatic symptoms. We have been seeing more anxiety, more isolation, and a decline in daily functioning. All this is compounded with a severe lack of available treatment from the state. In 2024 alone, we responded to over 15,500 requests for help. Since January 2025, we’ve seen a 25% increase in demand compared to the same period last year. Despite the ever increasing need, our complicated reality has brought budget cuts to the Crisis Center. Without additional sources of funding, we are being forced to reduce our operations and limit some of our services to survivors of sexual assault.  This year, more than ever, your support is critical. In order to continue to be present for survivors and to answer every request for help, we need your support.  What will the donations from the 2025 campaign be used for? 100% of the donations will go directly to supporting survivors of sexual trauma. •⁠ ⁠Addressing a dramatic 25% increase in calls to support hotlines – providing ongoing professional training and support for dozens of new and current volunteers to respond to hotline calls and expanding online response hours. •⁠ ⁠Developing support solutions for survivors who are not receiving private mental health treatment – Israel’s mental health system is collapsing under high demand – countless survivors are unable to access treatment. Therefore, we must establish dedicated and tailored support frameworks for those who need a safe environment, even if they have not managed to access treatment. This is an urgent necessity. •⁠ ⁠Operating support groups for survivors, their partners, and parents. •⁠ ⁠Maintaining the Safe Space Community – an innovative, first-of-its-kind initiative in Israel, providing women coping with sexual trauma a supportive and enriching social environment that operates year-round. The activities in the Safe Space Community were accompanied by qualitative research conducted in collaboration with a researcher from Bar-Ilan University. The research highlights the positive impact of the space on participants’ personal well-being and coping processes. •⁠ ⁠The Miriam Fund in memory of Miriam Straschnov z"l – which provides funding for therapy, psychiatric evaluations, travel to therapeutic and rehabilitation activities, and other personal needs of trauma survivors. •⁠ ⁠Establishing a support system for accessing rights with the National Insurance Institute and receiving the Department of Health rehabilitation packages – after a traumatic incident, the path to recognition and support can be complex and exhausting. We will assist with filling out forms, attending National Insurance committees, and submitting requests for rehabilitation packages, to ensure our clients receive everything they are entitled to. •⁠ ⁠Continuing to be a relevant and professional resource for youth and educational staff, and increasing our activities in elementary education. Without the help of the general public and your assistance, with great sorrow, we will be forced to discontinue some of our services during a time when sexual trauma survivors need us the most. Together, we can nurture positive change. We are launching a fundraising campaign with a goal of ₪1,000,000. Every donation, large or small, makes a real difference. It will allow us to be there for every survivor, at any time, and to create more moments of deep listening, which can become moments of healing. Donate now. Every donation is another heartbeat of hope. Together, we can offer hope to survivors of sexual trauma, so that the heart will find goodness again.