What a day on NCSY GIVE today! After having an awesome weekend up north doing team building activities, we finally made it to Mevaseret! It was officially our first day of Chessed! We spent the whole day around Jerusalem! Bus 1 started the day off by going to a nearby nursing home. As we sang, blew up balloons, and danced for the elderly, many smiles were forming. Not only did it bring happiness to the elderly to have guests but it was very special for the GIVErs to see how much joy they brought to THEM! Afterwards we headed to Gan HaPa’amon to have a delicious lunch. Later that day we went to visit the organization, Shalva. Shalva facilitates children and adults with disabilities from birth until age 21. The facility is open 24/7. We met with a man named Yossi Samuels. Shalva was started because of Yossi and his condition — he is blind and deaf. Yossi made everyone on GIVE feel like the sky is the limit in what you want to do. Despite Yossi’s condition he learned how to speak and read sign language. He also works and rides horses. What the people of Shalva accomplish was extremely inspirational and touching. After we got a tour of the colorful and fun building, we got to hear the Shalva band! They were so talented! We were all in awe as to what these kids could do! As the kids and adults of Shalva performed, GIVE danced along with the rest of Shalva! We then got onto the buses and drove to a place called Maaleh. It is a film making school. We watched a film that a women created about a personal life story. She explained to us how the process works and what it takes to make a successful film in the school.