| The Voice of PCiA – February 2024 SPONSOR A GAZA FAMILY Since the beginning of the new year, our organisation has been involved in sourcing accommodation and furnishing homes for Gaza families arriving in Australia. The families that are arriving in Australia from Gaza are on “visitor visas” and receive no monetary help from neither the state nor federal governments. They are not permitted to work yet and therefore are in a continuous struggle to secure enough money to survive on a daily basis. Now that a few families have made it to the lucky country with hardly any possessions, charities like Palestinian Christians in Australia decided to support the new arrivals. Through the efforts of our community organisations, Palestinian Christians in Australia (PCIA) and Australian Palestinian Club (APC) and the Orthodox Church donations, PCIA board members and volunteers managed to secure accommodation for 7 families. PCIA signed the lease on their behalf and furnished their homes. We believe the work we have done the past 6 weeks is significant. When we started this project, we had no idea where to start from, who to talk to, how to lease houses for people who have no rental history. We didn’t even have enough money to consider housing two families let alone seven! As we wrestled against many obstacles, the path opened. The right real estate agents who were so keen to help Gaza families showed up, landlords who were sympathetic to the plight of Palestinians arriving after they lost everything said YES within an hour of submitting the rental applications. As we signed lease agreements, churches and private individuals started pouring money into our account. Two families whom we secured properties for, became seven within two weeks. DOING IT FOR THE CHILDREN You have no idea how much happiness the Gaza families who moved into their apartments and houses feel. Once settled, we could see the parents turn their focus on their children and their education. What we are doing here is not merely finding houses and moving furniture. We are supporting Gaza parents stand on their feet and settle their families so that the parents can turn their attention to their children. By helping the parents, we are helping the children because the children are our future. There could be amongst these smart academically dedicated children, the future Prime Minister of Australia or the Treasurer, the CEO of CBA or the Archbishop of Sydney. We are planting this mustard seed, and we will see it grow into a tree in the years ahead. We aim to help as many families settle into homes as soon as they arrive. WE NEED YOU With the funds we collected so far, we could house 7 families for 6 months. We are planning on doing the same thing for another 7 families by end of next month. Right now, we have 4 families on the waiting list, and we are expecting more families to arrive from Gaza in the coming weeks. WE NEED YOU. 1. You could donate weekly from as little as $10/week. If we get 55 families to chip in $10/week for 26 weeks (that’s total $260), we can house one family for 6 months. 2. You could donate one-off payment of $550 to cover one week rent for one family. 3. You could fundraise for PCIA and run your fundraiser to sponsor a family. Please email Mago at fundraising@palestinianchristians.org.au Click here to donate We thank you for your support and we look forward to sharing with you more stories of Gaza families successfully settling in Australia. Below is a brief story of the Boutros family (name changed for privacy purposes). Yours Faithfully, Palestinian Christians in Australia For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me” Matthew 25:35-40  Gaza AppealDonations will go to support Gaza’s displaced families, churches and hospitals. The burden is huge and Gaza’s families need us. Donate for Gaza |
South Africa seeks justice for Gaza
I’m republishing this post from my friend, Dr Chandra Muzaffar – president of the International Movement for a Just World (JUST). Chandra has been a long-term advocate for Palestine and is one of the best-informed people on the subject that I have ever met. Father Dave
