Abigail Klein Leichman
July 30, 2014

Wispa, an Israeli iOS app that facilitates social secondhand buying and selling, has added a “South Aid” feature that allows users to offer accommodations, services or donations to war-weary residents of southern Israel.

“We know that families in the South of Israel are going through a tough time, and we wanted to help,” the startup announces on its website.

Wispa was founded only last year with funds from private investors and the Office of the Chief Scientist of the Ministry of Economy. It connects buyers and sellers by searching through users’ social networks for references to items other users are looking to buy. It even matches up renters and apartment owners seeking to sublet.

South Aid provides a platform for users in the south to search for residents of quieter areas of Israel who are willing to share their homes for a few days of respite from the constant air-raid sirens and missile bombardment, according to Wispa co-CEOs Netanel Teicher and Shachar Grembek.

In addition, the feature helps Israelis in other parts of the country find out how they can help southern businesses and residents in specific ways. In cooperation with the National Union of Israeli Students, Wispa has turned its Tel Aviv office into a drop-off point for care packages going to the South. A Facebook page has been dedicated to these efforts so that even folks without the app can participate.

“Our technology knows how to parse through the social networks and find the people who are seeking each other, but don’t realize it yet. We’ve gotten a lot of positive feedback on this, and we are very proud to make our own little contribution to helping those who need a hand during these difficult times,” Teicher told The Times of Israel.

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