WHAT PARENTS SAY
Mom, Geerz Boyz
My husband is in jail for being physically and emotionally abusive to me and our son. My son had so much anxiety built up inside him and he was too afraid to be himself. He was shy, quiet, lonely and scared to trust anyone. I also, struggle financially to support my family on my own, and I am still dealing with courts and lawyers fees. A local organization with my permission approached Geerz and told them about my situation. The founder of Geerz contacted me himself, and arranged for my son to get his own brand new bike and helmet. Nachum, personally matched my son up with the best instructor for his situation, and kept a personal tab on my son's progress. His instructor picked up and dropped of my son every week. As the weeks went by, my son showed a natural talent in biking. He advanced through the skills being taught effortlessly, and his confidence and self-esteem grew. He made friends, and found a male adult that he began to trust and value in his life. The weekly life skills that my son came home sharing with me that he learned were relevant and transformative. Geerz gave my son back his childhood, they gave him back a sense of peace and happiness through rebuilding his sense of self-worth, this is something that I was not sure was even possible.
Mom, Geerz Girlz
My daughter struggles with dysfunctional eating. She is ten years old, but looks barely six because she is so thin. She desperately wanted to do an extra curricular activity. She looked around at different options, and when she heard about Geerz decided that this is what she wanted to do. We decided to try and use Geerz as leverage to get her to eat more. We agreed that she could participate in Geerz if she upheld an agreed upon eating arrangement. Up until this point, we had tried everything else, and she would never even come close to agreeing. To our surprise she accepted the condition. To be honest, we did not get our hopes up. However, after her first session, with the support of the Geerz staff, our daughter did not come home frustrated or angry that she could barely ride her bike because of her lack of muscle mass or stored energy. In contrast, she came home feeling understood and encouraged. It has been six months since our daughter started Geerz, she has gained weight and muscle. She has gained confidence and self-esteem; she has a healthier relationship with food. I know that Geerz saved my daughter.
Mom, Geerz Boyz
Our son does not have a relationship with his father. Due to a medical situation my husband cannot play with our son, learn with him, or do any of the things that our son needs and wants. When I heard about Geerz from my neighbor, I thought my 8 1/2 year old son would be so happy to participate. Geerz would provide him with some personal attention that he so desperately needs, as well as, a source of enjoyment and an outlet for his energy and emotions in a healthy manner. The staff at Geerz understood and supported me from the first minute. They gave my son the opportunity to participate in Geerz at no charge and helped us receive a brand new, excellent mountain bike at a discounted rate that we will be paying off in payments over the year. In addition, for the first time in years, my husband showed interest in what my son was doing. My husband requested to come along and be a part of picking up the new bike when it arrived. My son now has something to interact with his father about. Geerz provides him with strength and energy for the whole week. He is happier and free. He is less angry and fights less with his sisters.
Mom, Geerz Boyz
I so badly wanted Geerz for my son. I read about the confidence mountain biking gives boys with ADHD who are often branded as "bad" and troublemakers in school. Geerz curriculum adds life skills and social skills. It is also a physical outlet and creates a sense of happiness, freedom and accomplishment that the boys gain. When I privately expressed to a children's behavioral specialist who recommended Geerz for our son, that it was not an option due to financial considerations she told me about the scholarship and partial scholarship opportunities available, according to need. It has been so physically and emotionally therapeutic for him and the school describes my son as a different boy this year. Another benefit is that he now feels confident riding a bike throughout the week. He is happier, we are happier, our house is happier.
Mom, Geerz Boyz
My son is a good boy. He does decently in school, has friends, and is overall well behaved. Having this been said, I have been watching him over the past year slowly change. I cannot put my finger on it, but his baseline of happiness - is just off. We took him to get evaluated and nothing concrete came of it. I started reading more and more about the challenges of today's generation. I grew up pre-internet, pre-smartphones, pre-social media. Even though, I am careful to limit and monitor his usage of these items, he still has access. The studies that I read are frightening. The number of children and teens being diagnosed with anxiety and depression is higher than any other generation and it is being attributed to technology. I decided that I was not going to sit by and watch my child silently suffer. I began looking at therapeutic programs in the neighborhood: swimming, art, horseback riding - and then I found Geerz. From the moment that I read their website, I knew this is exactly what I was looking for. Children growing up today are silently suffering, the bombardment of media and electronics is too overwhelming for them to filter properly. My son is in his second year with Geerz, and his childhood spark is back.
Mom, Geerz Girlz
My daughter Lia was just starting first grade. It was a hard transition for her, and one exacerbated by minor learning disabilities. She lacked confidence and struggled socially. We felt that the mountain biking would offer a fun challenge and fresh air. What we didn't anticipate was how much more she would gain from Geerz. Although the physical focus of the program is biking, Geerz's emphasis on strength of character, teamwork, love of the land, and overcoming obstacles has greatly contributed to Lia's personal growth.Thank you Geerz!
WHAT PROFESSIONALS SAY
Geerz is an ideal program for both children with behavioral, emotional and/or attention deficit issues as well as an average child who thrives both physically and emotionally. The program does not just work on the physical fitness of each boy and girl, but also helps to build their relationship with other children and themselves.
Shoshana Gros, MD
Pediatrician
HMO - LEUMIT
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I am writing this letter in support of the Geerz program. Geerz is an innovative program started by Mr. Nachum Wasosky that treats children with a wide range of problems including ODD, ADHD, low self-image, depression, behavioral problems and more. Over years, I have sent dozens of youth to Geerz and seen impressive improvements to children with these problems.
In the Geez program, youth go Mountain Bike Riding in groups. Geerz pushes the children to challenges that are harder and harder each week, and improves their self- images. In addition, because the challenge is in a group, it also assists children that have social issues. The feedback from the parents is amazing. “Thank you that you gave me back my child” or “ my child got his zest for life back”..........In the inquiries that I carried out amongst Doctors in Beit Shemesh, I received excellent feedback that this innovative program is very helpful to children physically and emotionally.
Sincerely,
Dr. Ephraim Rosenbaum
Medical Services Director
Leumit
Ramat Beit Shemesh