As our friends in the United States prepare to gather with family and celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday this week, we’re overwhelmed with gratitude for the way the Seeds of Hope family has rallied around us over the past month.
Many of you are preparing to set your tables and share a delicious meal with loved ones, so we wanted to share an update on the food you’ve put on tables half a world away through our recent food distribution project!
Since the start of the war on October 7, many cities in the West Bank have faced economic devastation, with businesses closing and people losing their jobs. Thanks to your generosity, Seeds of Hope was able to partner with Emmanuel Church in Bethlehem to provide aid to families in Jericho and Bethlehem, as well as Palestinian Christian groups fleeing Gaza. Last week, we carried out the second of what we hope will be many distributions of food and vital supplies.
We launched a similar food distribution effort during the most difficult months of the pandemic, and the success we had then has served as a blueprint for this new effort. By partnering with specific local grocers, we can double the impact of your investment by helping families and local businesses. Plus, with food scarcity becoming a real issue, we were able to pre-pay grocers to ensure that Seeds of Hope families could get access to their stock as soon as it was available.
We distributed food coupons to 420 of the most needy families in our community. Families could then go to specific grocery stores to redeem their coupons for food and household staples. This not only allows families to choose what they need the most, but it guarantees many smaller, family-owned stores can remain open.
The store owners we partnered with expressed their gratitude, acknowledging the real hope your support has brought them during challenging times. “I’m so grateful Seeds of Hope chose my store as a part of this project,” said Mohammad Hajjaj, a local grocery store owner. “It increased my sales, which had decreased significantly due to the deteriorating conditions. This project helps me pay some of my business obligations and keep my business open.”
In the face of such uncertainty, people in Jericho are feeling immense pressure—financial, psychological, moral, social, you name it. This project was a lifeline for families who are wondering if they will be able to provide for and protect their children. Your generosity speaks volumes to a community where some have started to lose hope for the future.
In addition to the food distribution, we helped 50 families pay for electricity for their homes to ensure they had heat and power and helped others access essential medications. In total, you’ve helped us provide over $40,000 worth of aid to those who need it most—and we’re not done yet.
Fuad Jaddou, Seeds of Hope’s Director of Community Outreach, reflected on the profound impact of your generosity and what it communicates to others: “In the worst moments when individuals feel overwhelmed, frustrated, and hopeless, we discover God’s mighty presence in our lives. In these moments, we need to share His mercy and love with others. We can help others to lean on God’s presence in these circumstances.”
As you gather with loved ones to celebrate this week, we hope you know how thankful we are for you and what a profound impact you’ve had on the lives of people you will never meet.
We’re already working on the details of another aid distribution, and we would be grateful for your support. Thank you for being an essential part of our Seeds of Hope family and investing in lasting, generational change in the Middle East and beyond!
