Uri Dehri, a resident of Kefar Saba, runs a beautiful volunteer project will all of his heart, in cooperation with the residents of the Onim dormitory facility who run the "Village Coffee" coffeehouse on site. The dormitory residents sell, market, and run the place themselves. These dedicated workers enjoy their new status.

The person who runs the project with great enthusiasm, most of the days of the week, is Uri Dehri, a resident of the city. Dehri is married to Shoshi and is a father to Adi and Lihi. Dehri came to know Onim through his wife who works there. The romance with the project began some four years ago, "I was offered to volunteer in "Village Coffee" tells Uri, "In the beginning I volunteered once a week, as time passed, the rest of the volunteers dropped out and in order that the project wouldn't close I took it upon myself to run the place.

The coffeehouse began as an impromptu kiosk in the heart of town and as time went by it developed into a meeting place of the Onim residents in the town. Today, "Village Coffee" has turned into the most popular meeting place on the Onim campus, and every afternoon residents meet there for long hours of bonding. At the eatery there are places to sit, watch television, and social activities.

Last week, the singer Pablo Rosenberg with the guitarist Gadi ben Elisha made a visit. They took a tour around the campus and visited in the residents' rooms.

Pablo didn't hide his emotions. "I was very excited how you opened up the doors of your homes and brought me into your world", he said and promised to come back and bring with him other artists.

Pinny Dar, Director of the Onim Campus noted, "there's an elevated spirit and a feeling of high morale when you meet the beautiful Israel. We, as education and rehabilitation professionals, are strengthened by visits like these".

Soon, there will be a celebrative dedication ceremony with many important people and honorable guests in attendance. Also, the Onim campus management is considering opening the coffeehouse every day also to customers from outside the Onim campus, which means to say, that the community can come and taste from the beauty and tranquility of the place.

"My Life Changed"

Shachar Eliezer, 21, has been staying at the dormitory for two and half years. "I enjoy it with all of my heart, it makes my life as good as it can be. I have good communication with the boss. I enjoy it a lot. I'm happier, livelier, it bonds us, and we can talk about everything. Life with friends before this was relatively boring. Uri is the best in the world. Uri gave us a job and meaning to life. He helps us to learn, to get by in life, he deserves the whole world".

Amichai Peles, has been in the dormitory for two years and also works in "Village Coffee", "I really enjoy to work at the coffeehouse. Everybody likes the toasted sandwiches I make. I make the best toasted sandwiches. My life changed after I met Uri. He brought a lot of joy to my heart."

It All Began From a Few Drinks

The Kefar Onim campus includes children and teens in dormitory settings and adults living in hostels and apartments in the city.

The adults come to the village through the Ministry of Welfare and in addition to them being wonderful, cheerful people, they are classified as having learning disabilities and functional difficulties that prevent them from integrating into the community in a regular way. Another significant difficulty that stands in the way of residents of the village is the difficulty in finding places of employment. Not once has it happened that a resident failed in his attempt to find different types of jobs, gave up, and stopped believing in himself and his abilities. So it happens more than once that the residents who have abilities stop trying and become sad and frustrated.

Four years ago, one of the residents tried to sell soft drinks at the hostel. Because of his limited ability in using money, he lost his money and the drinks. Then, the idea was born to set up a drink and refreshments stand for the residents of the dormitory. After about half a year, the snack bar was set up and the responsibility for running the stand Uri took on himself as a full volunteer with a warm smile and a happy heart.

It's exciting to see how a small, simple idea turned into a desired place full of joy of life. From the afternoon until the late evening hours, the snack bar is full with teenagers and adults coming to enjoy a cup of good coffee, hot toasted sandwich, cakes, and other good things. The prices are lower than what is accepted in the community and the income is divided at the end of each month amongst the 12 employees who successfully deal with the demands of the job despite their disabilities.

With the help of Uri and the work at "Village Coffee", the residents are learning to provide a service, to manage money, kitchen skills, and more. For some, the place serves as a refuge from the daily difficulties. More than being just a "boss", Uri is also an open ear and a source of support and encouragement. Uri's connection with the residents is amazing; the residents love him and are ready to give their part at any time.

Celebrating 60 years

The Onim Village of the welfare network rests in the heart of Kefar Saba; this is the sixtieth year. Many of the city's residents pass by "Onim, but only a few know the population of the village and the campus which is immersed in green; the open areas, the swimming pool, the sports center, and the special atmosphere.

"Onim", is the only village in Israel with a diverse population of deaf children, adults with special needs, a dynamic evaluation unit for a population with special needs and a training center of Nitzan for youth with learning difficulties.