The Pinellas and Pasco Counties Jewish Federation contributed to renovating a warehouse at the Jewish Agency Ben Yakir Youth Village and turning it into an apartment for Youth Village graduates.

The new apartment serves Ben Yakir graduates serving in the IDF, who have no family to go to while on leaves from army service.

Ben Yakir serves as "home" for these graduates. Pinellas County Partnership 2000 (Hadera-Eiron - UJC Southeast Region) Chair Larry Silver and Federation VP and Chair of Women's Philanthropy Deena Silver visited the Youth Village and met with Eliav Shomiev, a combat soldier in the IDF who resides at the village