Technion’s Second-Hand Store Helps Israel’s Wartime Evacuees
Many people on campus likely don’t know about Technion’s second-hand store.
Even fewer realize its true impact for the community.
Ronit Faran, who runs the store since 2014, says it’s been continuously open and run by volunteers, including herself, except for during COVID time.
Everything here has been donated by people in the Technion community.
Everyone is welcome to donate, volunteer or buy.
When you enter the store, you immediately notice the large variety of clothes for women and children, Judaica and knick-knacks.
Other rooms contain books, toys, winter things and men’s clothes. They sometimes get dishes, pots and pans and assorted others.
They likewise sell (at cost) handicrafts from Kfar Tikva, a special youth village housing children with special needs.
The store was founded by the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering, with the help of faculty administration head Irit Inbar, with the express purpose of helping students who are not of means or otherwise refugees from Russia or Ukraine or elsewhere, who may be lacking clothes and other things for their dorms upon move-in.
And help students, they have. Since its inception, the store has raised 200,000 shekels that were donated to the Student Union. All while selling everything for 5 shekels or other nominal price.
During the current war, the store has stepped up in a big way to help evacuees from the South and North.
For example, on the day after the terror attack on October 7th, Ronit delivered a carful of toys to children evacuated from the Gaza Envelope.
She has done the same since then for children evacuated from the North currently housed at the Carmel Spa, an exclusive, normally adults-only resort.
Everyone is welcome at the store, whether to buy, donate or volunteer.
This is one big way the Technion community is helping the Home Front.
