Olim Fund of the Galilee
August 2003 Report

August 12, 2003

Greetings to you all from Tiberias,
 
Thanks to your continued and growing generosity we had a particularly gratifying meeting of our board last evening where we were able to distribute over $6,000 to desperate situations among our Olim (immigrant) families as detailed in the attached report.
 
It certainly is heartbreaking when our people are reduced to seeking food in garbage bins, but such is the growing situation here in the Land as the very real terrorist war continues with increasing ferocity and unemployment grows ever worse, especially among our new immigrants.
 
It is thus that we are so very grateful for you wonderful assistance in meeting the most desperate of our many situation.
 
You can be certain that as more funds become available they too will be dispersed to those who are in the greatest need and not one penny will be deducted for overhead expenses which are covered externally to the fund.
 
Please tell everyone who might be interested in joining in with us in this effort to meet the survival level needs of our Jewish immigrants to Israel. For more information about the Fund, please visit our web site at www.olimpublications.com
 
With many thanks and blessings,
 
Bob Fischer

OLIM  FUND OF THE GALILEE

August 2003,  DISTRIBUTION

Family Size
Location
Monthly Income
Overview of Situation Funded
Gift

 

4

 

Quriat Motzkin (Haifa)

 

$573

Head of family’s salary was reduced by 50% due to cut back in hours. Wife is in late term pregnancy with 3rd child and cannot work. All utilities have been shut off due to non-payment and the family is unable to meet even the basic needs of living.

 

$459

 

4

 

Quriat Yam (Haifa)

 

$1,353

This is the family that lost their son some months ago for whom the Fund purchased a tombstone. Now they are unable to pay the current mortgage payment on their apartment and the bank is threatening to repossess. Payment is for one month mortgage due.

 

$344

 

6

 

Nesher (Haifa)

 

$963

Annual school payments are due for this family with unemployed parents and four young children. Gift is to meet these school payments which they are otherwise unable to cover at this time.

 

$459

 

3

 

Ma’alot

 

nil

Head of family lost job in factory and has no other source of income and no other means of paying for basic needs until unemployment benefits begin in a few weeks. One time gift is to carry them over until these government funds become available.

 

$459

 

4

 

Hadera

 

$1,336

Divorced man paying  80% of income for child support. He is a professional driver who incurred fines before his life was remarkably changed. He now has to pay these fines or lose his driver’s license and thus his means to support his children and slowly recover from his previous wrong living. One time gift.

 

$573

2

Ma’alot

$883

Retired couple both in very bad health. They have very large medical expenses which are not covered by their government benefits. Consequently, they have fallen into growing debt just to survive. One time gift.

 

$344

 

3

 

Quiriat  Yam (Haifa)

 

$792

Retired couple supporting 12 year old granddaughter who lives with them. They have a large overdraft at the bank and all payments to them are confiscated by the bank each month. Consequently, they have no income and are unable to withdraw any further funds from the bank. Utilities are long overdue payment and will be turned off imminently. No money is available even for food.

 

$344

 

4

 

Yochenim

 

$459

Long term unemployed parent of two young children desperately looking for work. Government benefits have run out and they have no way to meet basic survival needs. They are getting deeper into debt as they borrow from others.

 

$229

 

3

 

Katzrin (Golan Heights)

 

$528

Retired woman has 40 year old very new immigrant and just arrived 21 year of daughter-in-law living with them. Daughter-in-law is not Jewish and entered the country via Egypt by illegal means since she desperately needed to be with her husband. She is nine month pregnant. Since she has no government rights she they must pay for all expenses connected with the baby’s birth and there are medical complications that require hospitalization rather than home birth. These expenses will be about $2,000. On top of this, the meager income of the retired mother is insufficient to meet her suddenly expanded family’s basic needs for survival. Consequently, the family has resorted to searching local garbage bins for food.

 

$1,055

 

8

 

Katzrin (Golan Heights)

 

$688

Head of family finally found part time work after long search but has not yet been paid. Annual school expenses for six children are coming due and the family is in desperate straits trying to meet even basic survival needs without consideration of these school payments. Consequently, they too have been reduced to searching the garbage bins for possible food.

 

$573

 

1

 

Zfat

 

$275

Retired woman living alone has $12 remaining for other expenses after paying rent. One time love gift to encourage her that others are concerned about her situation.

 

$229

 

1

 

Tiberias

 

$275

Retired single man living alone is moving to a less expensive  apartment that will leave him enough money for food, however he needs to pay three months rent ($550) up front.

 

$229

 

4

 

Haifa

 

$344

Head of family is finishing last semester of college with promise of a good paying job in the next few months. However, wife is pregnant with complications and must be hospitalized for 3-4 months. They are getting deeper and deeper in debt to meet basic survival needs until current situation becomes resolved.

 

$688

 

2

 

Tiberias

 

nil

Woman separated from abusive alcoholic husband who is facing imprisonment. Situation is in extreme flux and she has no means of meeting survival needs in the short term.

 

$275

 

 

 

 

Total Monthly Gifts

 

$6,260


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Copyright 2002 by Raymond Robert Fischer