Day 100 13Jan 2024 - Hope for Sderot

3 months ago
Sderot News , War Updates

We had another relatively quiet week. We are still getting Kassams just about daily, but not many. The last big barrage came right as the clock struck midnight on 31 Dec. There were about 15 of them. The artillery fire continues but not like it was two weeks ago. Gray and black smoke can still be seen coming up from Gaza as the IDF does its best to dismantle Hamas there. The bottom line is… the war continues.

There is however a new type of battle raging in Sderot, and that is between its residents. You have those who never left, those who left but came back and then you have those who say they won’t be back until they are guaranteed a safe city to come back to and raise their children in. The city has been split into three groups. Facebook has become a parched field for all three groups to set ablaze with their opinions.

Along with the healing that needs to take place over the atrocities that took place here on October the seventh, there is now healing that needs to take place between all of Sderot’s residents. Please pray for the healing of Sderot.

From the beginning of the war, we have tried to keep you up to date on what we have been doing to help try to bring some Hope For Sderot. In the last one hundred days we have not stopped providing assistance to those who have decided to leave Sderot. We have provided food, canned goods, clothing, Shabbat meals, transportation, and minor home repairs for those who chose to stay in their homes.

For many people Hope For Sderot has become just that….. their hope when they have come to their wits end and have nowhere or no one to turn to.These are hard times for everyone in Sderot. When the war started and people felt the need to leave, they closed their businesses and ran for a safer place to wait out the war. That caused a domino effect, because their employees were now out of a job and without a paycheck. YOU, through your love and generosity, filled that hole in the damn, so to speak and enabled Hope For Sderot to be there for them.

We have provided much needed socks, tee shirts, flashlights that attach to helmets and gloves to our group of Soldiers from Sderot. We have been asked on several different occasions if we could help provide Shabbat dinner for three different units, which we do with great joy for them.

I know it is hard for many to believe that the IDF does not provide the necessary equipment for its soldiers. Well, for the full time soldiers, they get the cream of the crop equipment. However when the IDF called up 300,000 reservists, they got what was left on the shelf from the last war. In many cases they were lacking such basic items as gloves and flashlights that attach to their helmets. The units try to raise their own funds to buy what they need.

Fighting this war in the winter, in the cold is one thing but when you’re in the rain and mud, that’s a whole different situation, as some of you can attest to, through your own first hand experience. To have a change of socks or a dry tee shirt makes all the difference in the world for them.

What can compare to a hot, home cooked meal? We don’t have a commercial kitchen, just our kitchen at home. With the help of some friends all the prep work is accomplished the night before and with an early morning wake up call we are able to have dinner ready and hot when they come to our house to pick it up… talk about a labor of love!

We were given a wonderful opportunity by one of our supporters; she asked if we could arrange to buy pizza for our Sderot unit of soldiers. It was supposed to be a Hanukkah gift to them. Unfortunately, they were deployed before we could get it to them. Well, they came home for 3 days last week and we finally had the chance to get the pizza for them.

Along with what our supporter provided for them the pizzeria added eight more as a gift to them; the only problem was, they are not open on Friday, the day they needed to take them back to their camp. As it turned out, one of the workers said he would come in on Friday to make the pizza so the soldiers could have them. There was enough pizza for them and more to share with other soldiers.

For some of you, you know that sometimes military food just doesn’t hit the spot and cold canned food just does nothing to your taste buds. To come in from the battlefield to some “comfort food”, to something that reminds you of better days really hits the spot. Something as simple as pizza can give your spirit that boost it needs and we all know that pizza is good hot or cold, today or tomorrow for breakfast!!!

It is through your continued support that we have been able and hopefully will be able to continue to bring aid to our residents and a hot cooked meal every now and then to our soldiers.

I know I sound like a broken record BUT honestly and sincerely I don’t have the words to say “THANK YOU” for all your love and support for the people of Sderot. I don’t know how to convey what my heart feels, knowing every time we get a phone call for help we are able to help. It is only through your generosity and love it is made possible, and I have no words to describe my gratitude for your support. If you would like to join us in our efforts, just click here.

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