But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him?
1 John 3:17
Over the last three months, our efforts have been focused on providing basic essentials and prepaid gift cards to families in need throughout the land of Israel. Here are some highlights from our recent activities.
Passover Aid to Families in Need
820 families received financial aid from VFI thanks to our generous supporters. Among those receiving aid were: terror survivors, lone soldiers, families in need (lots of single-parent families!), Holocaust survivors, and new immigrants from Ethiopia. The VFI team distributed the aid via mail, at the Millennium Centre and by giving in capsules in centralised locations.
Food Baskets & Toiletries
The VFI team was busy giving food and toiletries baskets to hundreds of families in need in Jerusalem and the surroundings. The families expressed their deep gratitude. The recipients of aid range from singles to families with many children. There are single parents, elderly, new immigrants, those who are suffering from health problems and are unable to work, and some who have lost their jobs due to COVID.
Packing Food Baskets at the Millennium Centre
Our team has been packing food baskets for hundreds of families. We try to get those baskets out as soon as we humanly can. The baskets are divided into 2 kinds: for families with up to 7 members and a larger basket for families with more than 7 members.
Purim Goodie Bags for Soldiers
We love our soldiers and appreciate their sacrifice for keeping our land safe. As a token of appreciation, we gave 300 soldiers goodie bags (Mishlo’ach Manot) for Purim. The goodies were given to soldiers in select units in the south of Israel in cooperation with Yachad Lema’an Hachayal.
Pizza for Special Children
Due to COVID restrictions, Purim parties were very limited this year. We were able to sponsor a Purim party for children with special needs and purchased 30 pizzas for the school. We hope that next year we can all go back to celebrating like we used to.
Panic Buttons for Holocaust Survivors
We have partnered with the Foundation for the Benefit of Holocaust Victims, and have run an initiative to fund panic button service (they require a subscription service to operate) in the homes of Holocaust survivors. So far, we’ve enabled about 800 Holocaust survivors to call immediately for help (doctor or ambulance) in any case of distress—24 hours a day, 365 days a year—whether living alone in their homes, or in sheltered housing.
ICU Beds for Hospitals
We raised funds to purchase three new ICU beds for use during the height of Coronavirus, for three very deserving hospitals throughout northern and southern Israel. The cost of both bed and mattress was about USD $30,000, but the real-life impact of each of these units has been immeasurable.
Laptop for Bar-Mitzva to a Terror Survivor
Nadav lost his father in a terror attack in 2014. He and his four siblings were in the vehicle when a terrorist opened fire on their car on their way to the Seder meal. The children witnessed their father in his last moments. We have supported this family for several years with financial aid and with gifts for the children’s bar/bat mitzvahs. Recently Nadav celebrated his Bar Mitzvah, and we gave him a brand new laptop.
