Some important news to share!
With a heavy heart, I am announcing our termination of the Daughters of Charity Gaza Project on October 31, 2024. I will be 79 years old in a few months and my memory is not so sharp anymore, my energy level isn’t the same either. No one can take on this job of coordinating all as the other team members are working full time. I had always hoped that the Lord would keep it going by someone who would replace me. Yet his plans and vision are greater than mine.
Our team met on July 7, and decided on the date of October 31. This means that we will finish giving amenities and salaries to our two women on this date. Donations that we have now and may keep coming in, will go to the Patriarchate which is providing water and food to hundreds of people since the war began. Alomri of Germany has been supporting the Pontifical Mission which is giving water and food daily. They have provided 80% of our annual budget for many years and I hope that they will continue to sponsor the Pontifical Mission. Our wonderful staff are dispersed. Sabah, who has been the director of our projects in G., is in Egypt with her husband. Wassel, our social worker, is a refugee, as well as all our friends. We have contact only with Sabah as she is out of the country. We feel very sad that our withdrawal comes at a critical time for the people. When peace comes, the people will have to start all over again with nothing. I encourage you to keep helping the starving in G. by offering your generosity to other reliable NGOs who can provide the basic necessities to people. We trust fully the two Agencies mentioned above who are helping Muslims, Christians, and all as they are our brothers and sisters in great need.
We four team members thank the Lord for the opportunity to have been in G. many times before the war. The poor have evangelized us. We thank God for those friends that we made and for those who helped us get food to families, often risking their lives during the cease-fire moments during the wars. They will still be a part of us in thought and prayer.
We thank all of you who have supported our efforts over 28 years to serve thousands in G helping us to save lives and give quality of life to many. The Lord in His special way will thank you for all that you have made possible.
I will try to keep the website up to date until the end of December for all of you who want to keep up with the services given by the Pontifical Mission and the Patriarchate working in the two parishes. If you send us funding still by PayPal it will be sent quickly to one of these two relief agencies to give water and food to the starving. PayPal is free and you send your funds to my email address which is srssandpam@gmail.com It is sent quickly to one of the two relief agencies mentioned above.
June and July updates and photos
The Pontifical Mission which serves the homeless in the north is now giving water and food to over 1,000 people daily. Two parishes that are housing about 600 hundred to 700 people are continuing to do the same in the north. The north of the Strip continues to be the poorest region where the deaths from starvation continue for the weaker members of families. These are the elderly, babies, and the disabled. The refugees in the southern part of the Strip continue to be uprooted four to five times having to move to a designated area. With the constant shelling, these areas are not safe having suffered many casualties. Perhaps you have followed this in the news.
We do not need to continue to encourage you to pray for peace to come to this region of the world. May the Lord change hearts!
Sr. Susan Sheehan DC
June and July 2024
