Starting the Winter on a Warm Note

One child’s tears of joy, then smiles..for a new coat

by KR

0 Comments | Sunday, November 20, 2022 under Winter Warmth Campaign

Winter’s beginning in Israel. Temperatures are slowly dropping (outside, and in!) and thunderstorms are making periodic appearances. Winter is a good thing, of course; Israel relies on the rain for her water supply (we pray for it after all), and the break from the intense heat is welcomed by many. 

Without blankets or coats, winter is unimaginably difficult

But for needy households, ones in which parents can’t afford coats or blankets, the difficulty this time of year is unimaginable-confirmed by first hand accounts from families in this situation, who reach out to us for help. Winter is a time of stress and a time of suffering. Trying to sleep in frigid temperatures at night because they don’t have good blankets and can’t afford to use the heat is torturous. Walking to school, running errands or visiting friends during the day without a coat is not only uncomfortable due to cold and falling rain, it’s incredibly embarrassing.
 

Our Winter Warmth Campaign distributes winter necessities, tears of joy, and relief

That’s why at American Friends of Yad Eliezer | B'ezri we are so thankful our Winter Warmth Campaign is up and running, once again providing new, fleece lined coats for thousands of children, stylish warm coats for thousands of young women and heavy blankets for thousands of families.

We are working with Gabbaim (community organizers) in 44 Israeli cities who run our coat distributions, ensuring the neediest families in their communities receive the cold weather gear they desperately require. The feedback we receive each year is astounding and shows us how critical this tzedaka campaign is, how greatly it’s needed-this year's campaign is our biggest ever. One of the Gabbaim, in fact, reached out to us a couple of days ago, with one of the first reactions of the year, a story that moved us all.

Dear B’ezri,
You can’t imagine what happened to me today.
I was walking down the street when a boy suddenly approached me. He had tears in his eyes. “Thank you”, he said.
“Thank you…?” I answered. “For what?” 
“For the coat,” he replied. “The other day my mother told me that this year, we would go to the clothes gemach to get a coat for me. And just then, right at that moment, we got the message about the coat distribution.”
You can’t imagine how much koach this gave him-what a smile he had on his face!
During the distribution the families’ reactions were incredible, too. So many children will have a warm winter now because of you. So many girls will walk to school with a good feeling-a feeling that they, too will have a new coat this year, not a hand-me-down from a cousin or another relative. 
Y’shaleim Hashem Lachem. May you be zoche for all the Brachos. Wishing you a warm winter-a winter of action and activity, a winter of endless Shefa.
In the name of all the boys, girls and mothers…Thank you, thank you, thank you!

With American Friends of Yad Eliezer | B’ezri’s track record, we know that similar reactions will soon be flooding our office. Keep in mind it’s thanks to you, our donors, that this kind of chesed is made possible. Stay tuned for more beautiful feedback!

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