New WIZO Israel Survey: Volunteers Are Happier, Stronger, and More Resilient Than Their Peers

At a time when thousands of women across Israel are living with worry, uncertainty, and concern for loved ones serving in the reserves and security forces, a new WIZO Israel survey reveals something deeply meaningful: volunteering is not only an act of giving to others. It is also a powerful source of personal resilience, belonging, and strength.

The survey, conducted among 1,030 WIZO Israel volunteers from across the country, was carried out ahead of an annual appreciation event for WIZO Israel volunteers, hosted by Keren Kayemeth LeIsrael-Jewish National Fund together with WIZO Israel in early September.

For the first time, the survey included questions based on indicators used by Israel’s Central Bureau of Statistics, allowing WIZO Israel to compare the responses of WIZO volunteers with those of the general Israeli population.

The findings are striking.

Among WIZO volunteers over the age of 65, 96 percent reported that they are satisfied with their lives, compared with 88 percent of the general population in the same age group. In addition, 75 percent of WIZO volunteers said they are able to cope with difficulties always or often, compared with 64 percent of the general population.

The survey also points to a clear connection between volunteering and a sense of personal resilience and meaning. Approximately 73 percent of respondents reported that volunteering has significantly strengthened their personal resilience, sense of meaning, or sense of impact on the people they serve.

At the same time, volunteers reported lower levels of anxiety and emotional stress compared with last year, while feelings of loneliness remained low.

That resilience is especially significant in the current reality. According to the survey, 55 percent of WIZO Israel volunteers are first-degree relatives of members of the security forces who have served since October 7. In addition, 42 percent do not have a reinforced safe room in their homes and rely on shelters or protected spaces that are not immediately accessible.

Despite this reality, they continue to volunteer every week.

“Precisely at a time when many of our volunteers are coping with family members in military or security service and with a complex reality, they continue to choose action for the sake of others,” says Korazim. “And along the way, they strengthen themselves as well. That is why we invest in our volunteers throughout the year, through training, professional guidance, and a strong volunteer community that enables them to continue leading social change across the country.”

The survey also highlights the important role of older women in WIZO Israel’s volunteer network. Seventy-seven percent of WIZO volunteers are women aged 66 and above, and nearly one in five is over the age of 76. These figures reflect deep social involvement, purpose, and community leadership among women in later stages of life.

At the same time, 12 percent of respondents are new volunteers, showing that even during this complex period, women continue to join WIZO’s circle of volunteering.

WIZO Israel’s volunteer network operates across a wide range of fields. Volunteers take part in programs such as An Hour with a Child, the Bat Mitzvah project for mothers and daughters, Safety Net communities for women and children rebuilding their lives after domestic violence, the Bigudit second-hand boutique network, and many other programs for women, children, older adults, and local communities in partnership with municipalities and regional councils across Israel.

Behind the numbers stands an ongoing investment in the volunteers themselves. Throughout the year, WIZO Israel provides professional training, learning communities, and peer meetings for branch chairwomen, volunteer coordinators, and volunteers in the different programs. This approach reflects a core belief: strengthening volunteers is essential to sustaining meaningful social action over time.

For the volunteers, the impact is often felt in small moments that reveal just how much their presence matters.

Batya Hamudot, a volunteer in the An Hour with a Child program at the WIZO Hod Hasharon branch, shared one such moment.

“The girl I mentored did not want me to leave,” she says. “She hugged me again and again and told me, ‘I don’t need a vacation. I want you to come to school during these two months too.’ Only then did I understand how meaningful our volunteering really is.”

Yona Abelson, a volunteer in the An Hour with a Child program at the WIZO Karmiel branch, described the transformation she witnessed over the course of the year.

“I saw a girl who arrived with no confidence, and throughout the year she opened up, smiled, and became accepted and loved among her friends,” she says. “That was the moment that expanded my heart.”

Another volunteer described WIZO as a source of comfort during moments of fear.

“When there were sirens, I was very afraid,” she shared. “But when I was at the branch with the women and we were together in the shelter, I was not afraid. We were together, we talked, and I felt that WIZO was my home.”

WIZO Israel, the Israeli federation of World WIZO, leads social action for women, children, families, and communities across Israel, reaching tens of thousands of people every year. Its volunteer network includes approximately 2,400 volunteers, who operate around 400 programs annually through 38 branches from Kiryat Shmona to Eilat, alongside 45 Bigudit boutiques.

The annual appreciation event, held in partnership with KKL-JNF, will take place on September 3 at Cinema City Glilot. During the event, certificates of appreciation will be awarded to volunteers in the Safety Net program, who support women and children in communities across Israel. The survey’s message is clear: WIZO volunteers are not only changing the lives of others.

Through their commitment, connection, and continued giving, they are strengthening themselves, their communities, and Israeli society as a whole.