Alon and Ella: The volunteer army that rushed to help in Israel's darkest hour

On October 7, 2023, Israel faced its darkest day since the nation’s founding. As the country reeled from the devastating attack and the war that followed, the non-profit organization Alon and Ella, became a lifeline for thousands. What started as small-scale community initiatives 4 years ago rapidly transformed into a nationwide humanitarian force, mobilizing 9,000 volunteers, securing corporate partnerships, and launching large-scale relief efforts. This is the story of how this non-profit powerhouse got started and ended up being rewarded by the President of Israel.

Co-founder Alon Brikman recounted: “Five years ago, Omer Uziel, the daughter of close friends, passed away at the age of 14 from cancer. Her mother turned to me for help with Hevrei Kadisha arrangements, also sending my eventual partner Shlomit Harel Schwartz on this mission. While on line, for on that day many people died, we shared our dream of doing something for Israeli society. That moment of shared purpose led to the founding of Alon and Ella, an organization committed to strengthening Israeli society.”

At the time, Alon had just concluded a 30-year career with the Israeli Security Agency (Shabak), while Shlomit was an attorney. Their shared mission was twofold: to understand what Israeli society needed most and to determine what unique contribution they could offer. Their journey quickly revealed a key truth—Israel is a nation deeply rooted in volunteerism, with a highly developed sense of mutual responsibility (arvut hadadit). This realization led to the founding of Alon and Ella, dedicated to strengthening social responsibility and making life in Israel more connected, inclusive, and supportive—beyond politics and divisions.

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Alon and Ella began with small-scale initiatives such as food rescue programs, support for the elderly, and assistance for at-risk youth. Word of their mission spread, attracting interest from other organizations and corporations. Today, the non-profit collaborates with hundreds of companies, designing volunteer programs that enable their employees to contribute to their communities. Additionally, Alon and Ella have cultivated a vast network of 9,000 volunteers.

A Rapid Response to an Unprecedented Crisis

"On October 7, we sat down to decide how we would help the society in its most difficult moment since the founding of the nation,” Alon shared. “We set up a command and control center (Chamal) in central TLV: Ernest and Young, the big accounting firm, donated to Alon and Ella a whole floor in their building. This was used to aid all the populations affected by the war. Lots of trucks full of supplies, made their way down to Eilat, and Tverya and all the places where there were refugees, as well as soldiers."

From this hub, they launched a nationwide humanitarian mission, delivering aid to displaced families, frontline soldiers, and vulnerable populations.

The organization established five dedicated support complexes:

For Wounded Soldiers: Volunteers in all major hospitals provided support for wounded IDF soldiers and their families, ensuring they had access to care, resources, and emotional support.

For Displaced Families: Alon and Ella reached out to refugee shelters and hotels, offering essential supplies, entertainment, and emotional relief to those uprooted by war.

For IDF Soldiers: In both the northern and southern fronts, volunteers delivered food, portable washing machines, and showers to improve the conditions of soldiers in the field.

For Civilians in War Zones: Many residents in areas like Sderot, Netivot, and Kiryat Shmona remained behind due to emergency jobs. Alon and Ella ensured they had necessary food and aid.

For the Elderly: Recognizing the confusion and fear among older populations, volunteers provided assistance in multiple languages, explaining safety procedures and offering guidance on navigating the crisis.

Standing with Families: The Ongoing Commitment

"As the war went on,” Alon continued, “we entered more and more worlds: we started accompanying bereaved families, hostage families, we help the hostage families on a daily basis: we help them do their chores, we take them to their doctor appts, we help with food," Alon recounted.

In a particularly moving initiative, hostage families gathered for a cooking workshop (sadnat bishul), preparing meals for others in similar circumstances—offering not just sustenance but a deeply human embrace in their time of grief.

The organization has also stood beside families of released hostages, such as Ohad Ben Ami’s family, providing daily assistance to his wife and daughters throughout the past year.

For bereaved families, the organization fosters remembrance and healing through “hantsacha” projects—preserving the legacy of fallen soldiers by supporting their causes. One ongoing project includes building a home for a lone soldier in honor of a fallen hero. Another initiative involves preparing meals once loved by the deceased, a powerful act of remembrance.

Bridging Divides, Strengthening Unity

In Alon and Ella, the entire spectrum of Israeli society comes together—elderly individuals, youth, the disabled, lone soldiers, the homeless, and women seeking a way out of exploitation. Their mission is simple yet profound: to create a society where kindness is the foundation, and no one is left behind.

Alon and Ella’s mission is built on inclusion. Their volunteers come from all walks of Israeli society—Jewish, Arab, Druze, religious, secular, native-born Israelis, and new immigrants. As Alon emphasized, “For me, a hungry child is a hungry child. It doesn’t matter if they’re Jewish, Arab, or Druze.”

This philosophy extends beyond war relief efforts. In collaboration with the IDF and police, many of Israel’s elite military units now volunteer with Alon and Ella, further fostering unity between the security forces and civilians.

A particularly touching moment came when volunteers were asked to prepare breakfast for the Hostage Families Forum on the morning several hostages were released. "They asked us last week to cook for the Hostage Families Forum, breakfast for the morning on which several hostages were released. Over 200 volunteers came. To see the societal hug and the deep connection, this moves me every day," he reflected.

Looking Forward: A Nation Built on Giving

Despite the turmoil, Alon remains hopeful: “We won’t have the right to remain on this land unless we have arvut hadadit—where each person looks out for the other. Life is like a rollercoaster—those helping today may need help tomorrow. I always tell people to pray to be on the giving side.”

“Omer and Ela were to be 19 years old today,” Alon reflected. “We believe that up there somewhere they are looking down on us and are proud of what we are doing. That we make 100s of people happy every month, in their memory and in their honor, and we’re very proud of it.”

In June 2024, Alon and Ella received the President’s Award for Volunteerism, the highest such award given in Israel. “In a year in which all of Israel was volunteering,” Alon concluded, “the President of Israel chose us to be among the top 5, so this was a great reason to be proud of our amazing staff, and proud of all the volunteers!