Dear Friend of the Holy Child Program,
The weekend of October 7th, I was at the school when we first heard the rockets land near us. Soon after that we started to learn of the horrors unfolding in southern Israel. I was there for one of my periodic trips from my home in the US to the school in Beit Sahour to visit with the students, and meet with teachers and staff, when everything erupted.
Through my years as President of the Holy Child Program, I have unfortunately come to know the sequence of events once the fighting starts. One side strikes then the other side retaliates. Each time with varying intensity and different circumstances.
But I have to say that this time it is different. What is happening now isn’t just another round of fighting. It is war. The unrelenting attacks and the scope of the hostilities are so much more intense and so constant. Neighborhoods, families, and children feel that anything could happen at any time – to them and to those that they love.
The constant grind of stress and the sounds of battle gnaw at the souls of our students, already so affected and vulnerable. The school is their refuge. It is a place where they feel safe, can get a hot meal, and talk with teachers who help them to interpret what’s happening around them. You see, our teachers are not just instructors. They are skilled members of our school family who have received specialized training to help the children calm down and manage their emotions. We are blessed every day to have them.
In our hearts we don’t know what is to come. The hostile factions in the region have been in a state of chaos for centuries, but when the tensions boil over like this, everyone pays a price. Check points close. Food is cut off. People can’t work and earn a living to support their families. All this is coupled with the constant background of fighter planes overhead, rockets landing nearby and sirens going off.
Miraculously, and with much help from others, I was able to get home. I knew I needed to be here in the US so that I could help the Program the most, by informing our supporters of the conditions we find ourselves in.
To be frank with you, we need your help, especially now after the summer when our fundraising income trails off and our reserves are very low. Many of you who have visited our school and who have supported us financially know the impact of our program – the emotional healing that our students experience and the success the vast majority of them have after graduating.
I’m not usually so forthright with our need for donations but as I said, this time it is different. The future of our Program is at stake and so are the futures of our students, families, and staff.
There are several ways to support us, but at this time what we need the most are
operating funds to keep our school open and able to help our students. Your donations are so important to us, especially now when so much is at risk.
Thank you so very much for supporting the Holy Child Program. In addition to your best gifts, we ask that you pray for our school, and for the children that need us the most.
May God Bless you and your family.
