Hi Reader,

Our hearts are broken for the people of Iran as the U.S. and Israel rain down bombs on civilians. We grieve the more than 1,000 lives that have been needlessly lost so far, especially the scores of school girls in Minab whose promising young lives were cut short.

As you've likely seen in the news, the effects of the assault on Iran are rippling far beyond the country's borders. Our families in Gaza are being impacted in significant ways.

While we're still getting reports from families and we don't know what things may be like in the coming days, what we know so far is:

• Immediately after launching the first attacks on Iran, Israel closed all crossings into Gaza and the occupied West Bank. Israel announced yesterday that it would re-open the Kerem Shalom crossing to allow "gradual" humanitarian aid. The Rafah border between Gaza and Egypt will remain closed.
• The Rafah crossing into Egypt is crucial for people who need medical evacuations, and for allowing in humanitarian aid. Even before the bombings of Iran began, the crossing was operating far below capacity because of Israeli restrictions.
• Prior to the war in Iran, Israel told respected charities including Doctors without Borders and World Central Kitchen that they will no longer be able to operate in Gaza unless they give the government personal details about all of their staff members. The charities have refused to put their staff at risk and the matter is currently tied up in court.
• Within hours of the crossings' closing on Saturday, food prices rose rapidly through a combination of panic buying and merchants raising prices.
• Many of our families are re-traumatized by the thought that basic food supplies could reach prices they cannot afford. They are looking for reassurance - both emotional and financial - that we have not forgotten them.

We know that many of you would like a simple way to make one-time donations in situations like these, so we are launching an Emergency Fund that you can contribute to here. Your participation will allow us to send funds to our families who have the most urgent needs for food and medical care, and who have completed exhausted their own funds.

*Please note, because of the template we're using, you may see messages referring to your donation as a "tip." Rest assured that other than a modest credit card fee, your entire donation will go to one of our families.

Update on the Family Sponsor Program

Our long-term strategy for supporting our families in a way that's sustainable for our small volunteer team is still primarily focused on our Family Sponsor Program. As we're phasing out the monthly giving program we had on Open Collective, we're inviting supporters like you to offer a reliable monthly gift of $5 or more to one of our families.

Thank you to everyone who has signed up to be a Family Sponsor so far!

About 1/3 of our monthly donors from our old platform have made the switch to the Family Sponsor Program, so we still have a ways to go in providing reliable monthly support to our families who are in the most urgent need.

Here are the steps to become a Family Sponsor:

1️⃣ Answer a few simple questions on our Google Form​

2️⃣ Billy Ruffian will get in touch to match you with a specific family

3️⃣ You’ll receive instructions on how to make a monthly gift on the family's GoFundMe or Chuffed campaign.

4️⃣ You can then cancel your monthly donation on Coffees for Gaza Open Collective platform (if you have one.)

If you have any questions about the Family Sponsor program, our new Emergency Fund, or other ways you can support our families, just reply to this email.

Thank you for your continued care for and solidarity with our families.

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​