First Hug

First Hug (Hebrew: חיבוק ראשון) is an Israeli nonprofit association (amuta) dedicated to the care of abandoned and lonely infants in Israeli hospitals. It was founded in 2004 by Michal Koriath, CEO and owner of Transcom Global, after she encountered an online publication about abandoned babies. In Israel, approximately 300 infants are abandoned by their parents in hospitals each year, remaining there until full recovery or until a suitable solution is found, sometimes for many months. While hospital staff provide devoted physical and medical care, heavy workloads prevent them from offering the continuous emotional support these infants need. The association aims to fill the void left by the absence of parental care and to provide as much as possible the emotional and cognitive needs essential for healthy development. It also cares for infants suffering from insufficient parental presence due to various constraints, which is vital for their recovery and mental health. First Hug operates in 22 of about 35 recognized hospitals and state institutions across Israel, reaching every infant through a network of approximately 500 female volunteers. These volunteers accompany the infants daily, effectively simulating the missing biological parent, creating a constant human connection, smiling at them, hugging them, and tending to all their needs. The association's activities are funded by donations from private individuals. It employs a social system that serves as a link between the association and the hospitals. Every case of an abandoned infant is a complex welfare case, and treatment is carried out jointly by a social worker from the association and a social worker from the hospital. The social system also handles screening, sorting, training, and accompanying volunteers. First Hug has received several awards and honors. In 2008, Ernst & Young in cooperation with TheMarker selected Michal Koriath, founder and chairwoman of First Hug, as one of the ten entrepreneurs of the year. In 2009, the association received the Minister of Health's Shield for Volunteerism. In 2010, the President's Award for Volunteerism was granted by President Shimon Peres to Michal Koriath for her unique contribution to the state and society in Israel. In 2013, the Omets Award was given by the Omets movement to First Hug for its work in promoting and nurturing weak populations. As of 2021, Michal Koriath serves as chairwoman of the association, and Efrat Yassur is the CEO.

First Hug was founded in 2004 by Michal Koriath, CEO and owner of Transcom Global, after she was exposed to an online publication dealing with abandoned infants. The association was established to treat abandoned and lonely infants in Israel through a team of dedicated volunteers who wanted to help improve the infants' poor mental state following parental abandonment. In Israel, approximately 300 infants are abandoned by their parents in hospitals each year, and they remain there until full recovery or until a suitable solution is found, sometimes for many months. These infants receive devoted physical and medical care from hospital staff, but due to workload, the staff cannot provide the continuous emotional care they need. The association aims to fill the void created by the absence of parental care and to provide as much as possible the emotional and cognitive needs essential for the infant's proper development. It also treats infants suffering from a lack of sufficient parental presence due to various constraints, which is vital for their recovery and mental health. The association is active in 22 of about 35 recognized hospitals and state institutions across Israel, and provides a response to every infant through a network of about 500 female volunteers. The association's volunteers accompany the infants daily, effectively simulating the missing biological parent for them, creating a constant human connection, smiling at them, hugging them, and caring for all their needs. The association's activities are funded by donations from private individuals. It employs a social system that serves as the connecting arm between the association and the hospitals. Every case of an abandoned infant is a complex welfare case, and treatment is carried out between a social worker from the association and a social worker from the hospital. The social system also performs screening, sorting, training, and accompanying the volunteers. Over the years, the association has received recognition: in 2008, Ernst & Young in cooperation with TheMarker selected Michal Koriath, founder and chairwoman of First Hug, as one of the ten entrepreneurs of the year; in 2009, the Minister of Health's Shield for Volunteerism; in 2010, the President's Award for Volunteerism was granted by President Shimon Peres to Michal Koriath for her unique contribution to the state and society in Israel; in 2013, the Omets Award was given by the Omets movement to First Hug for its work in promoting and nurturing weak populations. As of 2021, Michal Koriath serves as chairwoman of the association, and Efrat Yassur is the CEO.

• 2013

  Received the Omets Award from the Omets movement.

• 2010

  President's Award for Volunteerism granted by President Shimon Peres to Michal Koriath.

• 2009

  Received the Minister of Health's Shield for Volunteerism.

• 2008

  Michal Koriath selected as one of the ten entrepreneurs of the year by Ernst & Young in cooperation with TheMarker.

• 2004

  First Hug association founded by Michal Koriath.

Nonprofit organization providing emotional and cognitive care to abandoned and lonely infants in Israeli hospitals.

1. 1First Hug - Wikidatawikidata.org
2. 2חיבוק ראשון (עמותה) - Wikipediahe.wikipedia.org