This Season Of Giving, Consider The Refugees Of Gaza
Winter has a way of humbling us, especially in Northeast Ohio, where the Lake Effect reminds us of our shared humanity. While it may lay dormant during the rest of the year, this collective compassion is unmistakable in the cold - strangers hold doors as others hurry in and drivers yield the right of way on icy streets. From inspiring food drives to supporting local businesses, the spirit of the season nourishes a collective sense of gratitude and generosity.
This year especially, as we give thanks for all we have, we’d be remiss not to expand our mutual compassion beyond our borders, here in the Greater Cleveland area and beyond. 2024 has been a turbulent year with biting truths and magnified disparities both in America and abroad, but none quite so stark as Israel’s military onslaught in Gaza. Funded in large part by U.S. tax-payer dollars, the attempted extermination of the Palestinians is the culmination of decades of dehumanization.
As Americans, our nation’s foreign policies produce conflicts like these that yield millions of refugees in Gaza and across the world. As such, we would do well to recognize that rather than ‘collateral damage’ these are individuals just like us with the same international human right to self determination.
With conventional nonprofits like UNRWA banned and aid heavily restricted in Gaza, Palestinians refugees are being starved to death and are relying on the generosity of everyday people to survive. This year, they have been forced to use social media not only to livestream their own genocide but to beg for donations as well.
Across the board, you’d be hard pressed to find any demographic more worthy of charitable giving than refugees. Forcibly displaced and expelled from their homelands, refugees are left with nothing.
In this season of giving, do not turn a blind eye to Gaza. There are a few grassroots organizations like The Sameer Project, INARA and Operation Olive Branch still functioning in limited capacity and they are in dire need of funding during the cold, rainy winter. Listen to the stories, bear witness to the suffering and consider donating. Ultimately, aren’t we all the same; just human beings trying to stay warm?
Laura Beans Sika
I am a professional writer and storyteller with a background in publishing. I've spent more than 14 years working at publications, PR firms and marketing agencies in Northeast Ohio. My work has appeared in Ohio Magazine, EcoWatch, Organic Spa Magazine, YES! Magazine, The Establishment and others. I graduated with a degree in English—Creative Writing from Ohio University in 2010. My passions lie in social justice.