30 October 23
Ketura has undergone changes during these weeks of declared war. In addition to our own coping with the situation – there is so much to do all the time as we try to help others. So many of you have asked me how you can help in this awful situation.
If you want to help Kibbutz Ketura – please feel welcome to donate to Merkaz Hashachar on the site “Israel Gives“, and Ketura will use the donations to care for the hundreds of extra people we have had every day on the kibbutz, for people evacuated to Eilat and our region, for helpers in need of supplies,
and for projects that help keep people safe in these difficult times.
We’re now hosting our second and third wave of people – most recently students and families evacuated from the north – as the initial wave, people who were with us for a week or two joined their communities in designated hotels for the duration of the war. We have gotten used to unfamiliar faces at meals, explaining things many times, and just generally looking out for people who don’t know their way around our home. So what are we doing beyond keeping them housed and fed? We are granting additional subsidies to those in the Keren Kolot Guest House and supplying essential furnishings to help evacuated families be comfortable in houses that Ketura can offer. We continue to support their well being – from support for the work of therapists to homeopathic remedies prepared by a member of Ketura.
Oh and we still send volunteers to unload trucks full of supplies in the region or Eilat which are now coming in a slightly more organized fashion now and also to sort the deliveries to make them accessible. We’re hiring some more professional workshops and covering the cost of the supplies, to help keep those evacuated busy and active – our team has become so great at running activities for different age groups in parallel sessions while explaining to new people where things are and how to get there.
Any money we receive will be used to get what people need here on kibbutz, in the Arava, in Eilat, and in areas directly affected by the war. Whenever we learn of specific needs, we try to find a way to make it happen. Your support helps make that possible – so thank you so much for all your encouraging messages and donations.
