And amid this busy and festive time, Israel continues to reel from the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic.
At Vision for Israel, our team has been working hard to help prepare as many families as possible for this time of increased activity, with the additional pressure of financial distress. Many of these families are experiencing joblessness for the first time, and are unsure how to cope with the new pressures of low income, unpaid leave, and medical problems.
It’s important for us to provide these dear families some relief, to allow them to survive in these difficult times, and make it possible for them to have food on the holiday table.
Over the last few weeks, dozens of needy families have been invited to the Millennium Centre, to receive a NIS 300 (USD $90) gift card.
There, we met single mothers, some with many children, new immigrant families facing assimilation difficulties, and many other families facing financial difficulties due to the physiological and mental health problems of their family members.
One recipient told us that she was going to go shopping right away using the gift card. We made it clear to her that the essence of the assistance was shopping for the holidays, but she explained that her husband was very ill and that caring for him did not leave her enough time to shop and run errands.
Therefore, she preferred to buy products that do not spoil, such as honey and frozen meat, so that when the holiday approaches, she can make a relatively small purchase in the little time that is available to her.
Especially in these difficult times, when the coronavirus affects so many people, it remains important for us to allow distressed families to celebrate the holidays joyfully, with enough food on their table.
