Activity booths, gifts, donuts, treats, games, contests, songs and lots of joy characterized the Chanukah parties that were held at Meir Panim – Power of Giving branches throughout Israel.

An art workshop for young artists, youth clubs, professional training courses, volunteer training, various classes – all these and others are special projects that have been arranged in the wake of the establishment of a coalition of organizations on behalf of the Ethiopian community.

Over 300 volunteers from throughout Israel attended the annual Meir Panim – Power of Giving gathering held at the Air Force Center in Hertzelia.Mr. Rafi Elul, chairman of the Ru'ach Tova organization, greeted the attendees and commended the work of the volunteers and the importance of volunteer work generally.

The Israel Center for Third Sector Studies, in conjunction with the Forum for Improving Nutritional Security and the Advancement of Poor Populations, held a conference in September presenting the results of the cooperation between these two organizations in mapping the various food charities in Israel.

A Meir Panim-POG volunteer has undertaken a heartwarming initiative. Rafi Sofer, a volunteer for Meir Panim, has set up a new internet site called "Rak Tov" ("Only Good"), to encourage good deeds and publicize them. The site was established in memory of his son, Guy, who passed away last year.

A “Meir Panim for the Family” club opened last Thursday (Nov. 3, 2005) in Kiryat Gat and will run next door to the Meir Panim restaurant in the Veradim Tower.

100 members of the Bnai Brith movement took part in a major event held by Bnai Brith in Frankfurt to discuss the various ways to advance Meir Panim's activities through the community in Germany.

As Rosh Hashanah approaches, we are busy preparing for our annual "Meir Panim Le-chag - Something That Brings Joy to Someone" project, in cooperation with Army Radio, Hashomer Ha'tzair, Ynet, and many commercial companies.

At a festive ceremony held at the Variety Center in Jerusalem, three new welfare initiatives in the city were formally launched, all of which will work under a multi-organizational team founded and led by Mr. Arkady Gaidamak, president of KAROR - the Congress of Jewish Communities in Russia.

In the annual scale (2005) published by the newspaper The Marker, Dudi Zilbershlag, chairman of Meir Panim - Power of Giving, was ranked among the ten most influential people in Israel in the area of social welfare, and among the one hundred most influential people on the Israeli economy generally.

Three years ago, a group of Jewish students at Cheltenham High School formed a club called "American Teens for Israel" sponsored by Simcha Noznisky, a teacher at the school. The members of this club show their concerns and support to the state of Israel by organizing schoolwide activities

Rosh Hashanah is soon approaching, and the Meir Panim organization is already intensively involved in preparations for the Meir Panim Le-chag ("Shining Faces for the Festival") project, during which toys, clothing and food packages will be collected

Underprivileged children in Kiryat Gat were given the opportunity to attend camps this past summer vacation, thanks to the successful partnership between the "Bagir" company and its president, Mr. Tzvika Birenbaum, and chairman, Ofer Gilboa, and Meir Panim.

Hundreds of toys, books, cleaning and maintenance supplies, suits and clothes were put on sale for a shekel per item. Within four hours after the event began, over eighty percent of the products donated to the bazaar were sold.

"Finally, I have air and light in my eyes," says a mother of a needy family whose children's room in their home was redesigned and refurnished with the initiative and guidance of Racheli Chazan-Zelk from the "Tal Chayim" organization, with furniture and materials provided by the "Meir Panim - Power of Giving" branch in Petach Tikva.

New finance minister says he is troubled by poverty situation for 'three years,' but says no change of policy will take place