Israeli Initiative Turns Drivers Into Community Couriers Amid Delivery Challenges

After returning to Israel from Singapore, Vered Sitbon faced long waits of weeks for deliveries to her small town on the Carmel coast, unlike the immediate service she was used to abroad. She soon realized many locals experienced similar frustrations, especially during the recent war when delivery services nearly halted and her husband was called to reserve duty. With children at home and limited access to school supplies and food, Sitbon began coordinating help through local WhatsApp groups, connecting neighbors who could pick up and deliver items for each other.

This grassroots cooperation inspired Sitbon to create a small community-based system where users could request and offer delivery help, setting their own prices. As demand grew, she partnered with Tair Mordoch, a community management expert, who suggested developing an app. The resulting platform, MOOVIZ, functions like a social Uber for deliveries, linking people needing items delivered with drivers already traveling nearby. Users negotiate prices directly, and the app includes trust and safety measures such as identity checks and photo confirmations at pickup and drop-off.

MOOVIZ quickly expanded from a few hundred to several thousand users within six weeks, serving individuals, small businesses, restaurants, offices, and online buyers and sellers. The service charges no fees or subscriptions, emphasizing community support rather than commercial courier operations. Sitbon and Mordoch stress that MOOVIZ aims to foster mutual aid and connectivity, helping people earn from trips they already make while improving delivery access in underserved areas, especially during crises.

The founders see the app as a way to make Israel more connected and accessible, encouraging more people to join and benefit from this cooperative delivery network.