Hi Reader,

Today I'd like to tell you more about one of our 25 families: Fadi, his wife Alaa, and their three daughters: Danya (age 13), Kinda (age 10), and Leen (age 7.) Fadi and Alaa often call the girls their "flowers."

The family's original home is in Gaza City, and it was destroyed in the early days of the war. Fadi worked for a large bank as a International Investment Consultant. Before the genocide began, Alaa was hoping to open a shop.

During the war, they were displaced multiple times while living in a tent. When the "ceasefire" was declared, they moved back to Gaza City. They now live in a small apartment that they share with Fadi's parents and sister. The girls went 2 years without schooling, though they have recently been able to start their lessons again.

Fadi is a smart and creative man, and he's made multiple attempts at promoting his family's GoFundMe on social media. Despite his attempts, their Instagram account has never taken off as they hoped. That means they have been completely reliant on Coffees for Gaza supporters like you for their basic needs.

We have not been able to raise enough for the family's most basic needs. Fadi has lost a concerning amount of weight as he often goes without food so the children can eat.

He is constantly searching for work, which is almost impossible to find. Fadi shared recently that "the money is starting to run out. I'm trying to reduce expenses to a minimum to face the unknown future." If they have to relocate again out of Gaza City, it "will exhaust us physically, psychologically, and materially, and we will lose everything that was arranged in Gaza City."

Despite leaders and media declaring the war has ended, no rebuilding is taking place. There are no basic services. Disease is rife due to malnutrition, winter storms that at times spread raw sewage, and a lack of basic infrastructure.

Even with all the family's suffering, Fadi regularly takes time to express his appreciation to Coffees for Gaza volunteers, especially to the volunteer who checks in with him regularly. He recently said:

Can you donate the cost of a takeout coffee - or more if you can afford it - to Fadi's campaign?

Fadi's fundraiser is in Canadian dollars, but if you click on the "donate now" button on his page you also have the option to give in U.S. dollars.

Interested in volunteering with us?

As you can tell from Fadi's words, Coffees for Gaza volunteers are a lifeline and source of emotional strength and solidarity for our families.

We would love to have you join us as a volunteer in any capacity! There are lots of roles for volunteers, including but not limited to, the following:

• 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.

With love and solidarity,

Rebekah Gienapp and the Coffees for Gaza team

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