Hi Reader,

As we get settled into this new year, I want to share an update on Coffees for Gaza that you have missed during the holiday hustle and bustle.

Coffees for Gaza is entering a period of transition, both in terms of how we financially support families and in terms of our volunteer leadership. We need your help to ensure that our work continues, so that we can fulfill the commitment we have made to our 25 families in Gaza.

Impact Step #1: Become a monthly Family Sponsor

For as little as 5 dollars a month, you can help bring stability and hope to one of our families. Answer a few simple questions on this Google Form, and we will match you with one of our families. You'll also receive instructions on how to sign up to make a monthly gift on the family's GoFundMe or Chuffed campaign. (If you still make a monthly donation on Open Collective, you can cancel it after filling out the Google Form.)

Now let me offer a bit of background about why we are moving to the Family Sponsor model. Since March of last year, our primary way of financially supporting families was by collecting monthly and one-time donations on their behalf on Open Collective. Our community has been so generous, and we are deeply grateful for that.

Because we are not an official nonprofit/NGO, donations collected on Open Collective had to count as one of our volunteer's income, even though all the donations are passed along to families. That has tax implications for the volunteer. This model also created an immense amount of work for three of our volunteers who distributed funds to families.

We had hoped to find a NGO that could fiscally sponsor Coffees for Gaza, but we have been unable to. Transferring funds directly to people in Gaza is risky for organizations.

That's why, going forward, we're asking Coffees for Gaza supporters like you to donate directly to families' fundraising campaigns on Chuffed or GoFundMe.

The Family Sponsor program is the simplest way to do this, especially if you want a "set it and forget it" option. You can also find all of our family's campaign links here if you'd like to make a one-time donation. ​

Despite the ceasefire, our families' needs are as great as ever. Israel is still heavily restricting aid and barring respected charities like Doctors without Borders from continuing to operate in Gaza.

Please help us continue the important work we've carried out with our families by becoming a Family Sponsor or making a one-time gift to one of our families.

Impact Step #2: Volunteer with us

We always need volunteers, and we also have several key leaders who have been spending 20+ hours a week supporting our families. This is not sustainable for them, and we want to spread the work around more.

There are so many ways you can help out. Here are just a few options:

• being part of our Family Support Team. Volunteers are matched with a particular family who they check in with regularly, providing emotional support, asking about their needs, and providing any updates CFG needs to know.
• joining our Instagram boosting community. You'll be added to a private Instagram group, where Coffees for Gaza related posts are shared. You can then like, comment on, and share these posts, which makes a difference in how many people on Instagram will see these important updates.
• creating art or video social media posts that fundraise for our families and tell people about our work.
• hosting a special fundraiser for one of our families. This can be as simple as emailing/texting friends and asking for their support. Past special fundraisers have included secondhand sales, music and art themed events, and donating a portion of your product sales for a specific time period if you are an artisan.

Interested in volunteering? Hit reply and let me know how you'd like to get involved or what skills you'd like to offer.

Coffees for Gaza is all of us. Thank you for all the ways you've already been part of supporting our families. As media attention on Gaza fades and we move to a more sustainable model, we need your help to continue this work.

With love and solidarity,

Rebekah Gienapp and the Coffees for Gaza team

​Invite a friend to subscribe | Coffees for Gaza on Instagram | Family Sponsor Program​