Feed a Child

Dear Bridges for Peace, I have needed to write you this letter for a while. I have been an elementary and then a junior high/high school teacher for the last 11 years. I have seen the volunteer groups that have come to my school to work with the students. I have seen the gift packages on the students’ birthdays. I have seen the food packages and food coupons on the Jewish holidays. I have seen the food provided at lunch and dinner times during the teaching sessions to help them succeed in school and not drop out. I have seen the smiles on their faces when they get a letter or a card from their sponsors. I have seen them say with pride to another student, “I am a Bridges for Peace student. I have someone out there who cares for me and helps me so I can stay in school.” Bridges for Peace, you do amazing work. Your dedication to the students is commendable. They see that someone is looking out for them and helping to ensure their success in their schoolwork and ultimately in their life. They feel privileged to have the opportunity to be anything and the opportunity to achieve more than their parents did. They know it is because you believe in them and desire to help them achieve something that most of their family cannot do without help. An education and a Bagrut (matriculation) certificate means that they can go to university and strive for success in their choice of profession and their life. Bridges for Peace, Yasher Koach! Good job! Thanks for being there for our students. Pearl Peller English Teacher and Coordinator

My name is Miki. I live in Beit Shemesh and I am in the 12th grade. I have overcome many difficulties in my life such as knee problems that have caused me much pain over the years. I recently recovered from COVID-19, although I am in much danger because I have only one lung, so I am in a high-risk group. I also have a rare eye disorder that makes my eyes tired all the time and affects me every day. In my free time, I like to make animations, to be with the people I love, and I am really good at English. I am very appreciative of the help that Bridges for Peace gives me because I do not have many people who have been there for me when I needed them. Bridges for Peace surely is one. Thank you!

As part of my job, I meet so many families in need, and the one thing I have learned is the importance of hope. No matter how bad things get, they must continue to have hope for a better future. It is what keeps them going from day to day. Bridges for Peace provides that hope. The appreciation I see when we give out gift baskets or food packages before a holiday always lifts my heart. When they receive a special gift or even just a letter, the excitement in their eyes is so extraordinary. When they realize that they are not alone and that someone truly cares about them, the look on their face always fills me with hope. Too many children these days have to grow up too fast. When a child cannot concentrate on his studies because he worries about how his parents will pay the rent this month and if he will even have a place to live, homework looks trivial by comparison. When a child comes to school hungry and has no idea where his next meal is coming from, how can we expect him to concentrate in class? Giving these children security and peace of mind, knowing that they will receive their books on time with everyone else, and having a hot, nutritious lunch makes all the difference in the world. That is what Bridges for Peace gives them, security and peace of mind. The hope that tomorrow will be better and the knowledge that someone somewhere is thinking of them. Thank you, Bridges for Peace! Sharona Catane, Projects Manager