This week, we have distributed food to over 16 families or around 80 people, sent 3500 shekels worth of baby food, clothing and diapers to needed families. We made several trips to the market for food and prepared 20 meals for hungry people and made four gift bags for the soldiers that are protecting us and now preparing to make Shabbat meals.
Here is just a little insight into how we are helping the residents of Sderot, even if we can’t get out or they have chosen to take shelter outside of Sderot. They are still part of our Sderot family and fall well within the mission of Hope For Sderot.
The situation for the residents of Sderot is complicated. You have some that are in fear for their lives and evacuated when it was safe on the 8th of October, with no help from the city to relocate. You have those who waited until the city set up plans to evacuate citizens and you have those who chose to stay here in Sderot. All three groups of people need help.
No one has worked since the seventh, which means no paycheck will be coming. Some have not worked since the day after Yom Kippur; September the 17th. In some cases the work performed by self employed people has not been paid for because the companies or schools they did the work for have been closed and there is no way to cut them a check.
We can’t help them all but we can continue to help those whom we normally help and some of new ones who come to us for help, but not all. For us it is a dilemma of having to pick and choose who we can help. The elderly we have been helping, we will continue to help, those with disabilities we will continue to help, the single mother with nine children we will continue to help, the family of eleven with number 12 on the way we will continue to help and our list goes on.
When one of our residents who is now displaced out of the city calls and asks for help with diapers, we will do whatever it takes to get her diapers.
PLAN “B”
Our store front has not been damaged. We still have electricity and water there. The problem is, no one will make a delivery to us here right now. We need a plan “B”.
We can make purchases on line and have them either delivered or they can pick them up. The same thing holds true for food. We can place an order on line and have it delivered or ready for them to pick it up. We can also purchase gift cards and have then delivered to their cell phones. There are many ways to get the needed supplies to the residents of Sderot no matter where they are right now.
You have to understand, there are those residents of Sderot, who after the Oct 7 massacre, took their children and fled for they lives to safety. They are still residents of Sderot, they are just presently displaced with very little of what was their lives on 6 Oct.
Among those who left are some of our volunteers, who from where ever they are staying, Tel Aviv, Eilat or any other location in Israel, are all in need and we will do our best, however to help them in any way we can.
We have our work cut out for us as we implement “plan ‘B’”.