Volunteers from abroad are marking Israel’s annual autism fundraising campaign by sharing how everyday moments inside residential homes run by ALUT have become acts of care, connection and belonging.
At ALUT homes across Israel, mornings begin quietly: breakfast is prepared, routines take shape and trust is built step by step, often by volunteers who have traveled thousands of miles to support adults on the autism spectrum. Their stories, shared ahead of the national donation day, underscore a message organizers say is central to the campaign: solidarity has no borders.
Young volunteers from countries including Germany and Brazil have chosen to spend months and sometimes years living and working alongside autistic adults, not as visitors but as part of daily life.
For 20-year-old Chaim Kuperberg of Germany, volunteering in Israel is part of his national service through the German-Israeli Volunteer Service. His decision to serve with ALUT at the Beit Ganim hostel in Jerusalem, he said, was driven by values shaped at home.
“I grew up seeing my parents help people whenever they could,” Kuperberg said. “Helping others became one of my core values. When I was offered the opportunity to volunteer at ALUT, I knew immediately this was where I wanted to be.”
Kuperberg arrived in Israel nearly three months ago and plans to stay for a year. He said the experience has deepened both his personal and spiritual connection to the country. One of his first encounters at the hostel left a lasting impression: as he sat nervously among residents who did not yet know him, one quietly reached out, took his hand and rested it on his head.
“That moment showed me something very important,” he said. “We’re not just volunteers. We matter personally to them.”
For Suéllen Araújo, a 40-year-old nurse from Brazil, volunteering at an ALUT home in Pardes Hanna combined professional development with personal growth. She arrived in Israel nine months ago to gain hands-on experience working with autistic adults while learning the language and culture.
“I wanted practical knowledge,” Araújo said. “But also to give something back, to use my skills and grow as a person.”
Working closely with six residents, she learned that trust is often expressed without words. She recalled residents holding her hand or leaning their head against hers, gestures she said conveyed belonging more clearly than speech.
“There were no words,” she said, smiling. “But the feeling was clear: ‘You belong to us.’”
Another volunteer, Yohana Soares Santos, 34, also from Brazil, said her decision to volunteer in Israel was shaped by history and by the urgency she felt after the Oct. 7 attack. A descendant of Portuguese Jews who fled to Brazil during the Inquisition, Santos arrived in Israel nearly two years ago and volunteers at Beit Ganim in Jerusalem.
“I wanted to do something meaningful,” she said. “Especially at a time when people needed support, stability and presence.”
She described working closely with a woman in her 50s, helping her choose clothes and style her hair as part of a daily routine designed to reinforce memory and independence. One day, the woman remembered the name of a hair product on her own.
“She was so proud,” Santos said. “It might seem small, but it meant everything.”
As ALUT prepares for its annual fundraising day alongside OTI, the volunteers emphasized a shared message: autism is not something to fear or pity, but a different way of experiencing the world.
“Autistic people are people,” Kuperberg said. “They have personalities, interests and relationships. They’re different, but in no way less.”
Araújo said understanding begins with respect. “Be present,” she said. “Listen, even when there are no words.”
Israel’s Annual Autism Donation Day will take place Dec. 24, 2025, led by ALUT and OTI, the country’s leading organizations supporting children and adults on the autism spectrum. The campaign aims to raise awareness and promote a more inclusive society that recognizes diverse needs and forms of communication.
Donations support lifelong care, professional services and meaningful inclusion for autistic children and adults across Israel. Donate here.