‘They are not alone. We are showing them the diaspora supports them fully’

Together with a team of young volunteers, London resident Chayli Fehler is supporting humanitarian efforts in Ofakim, southern Israel, where 48 residents were brutally murdered by Hamas terrorists.

By Michelle Rosenberg 25 October 2023, 4:04 pm
Tributes to a murdered policeman. Pic: Project Impact

A Londoner holidaying in Israel just before the Hamas terrorist attacks has stayed on to support Israel’s humanitarian efforts.

Chayli Fehler is the founder of UK youth volunteering charity organisation Project Impact, which runs community youth kitchens around north west London.

Deciding to stay on in Israel, she recruited an international team of volunteers and focused on Ofakim, the hardest hit city in Israel, 30 minutes from Gaza.

Speaking to Jewish News, Fehler says: “Volunteers raised $22,000 for the Chabad Ofakim soup kitchen and went south to help distribute food door to door to survivors who were too afraid to leave their homes.

“They heard harrowing stories as well as miracles that occurred from families who were still in shock. They were shown the damage to peoples homes and courtyards and learnt about many of the 48 individuals that were murdered.”

Farag, a policeman for 25 years. He had a grenede thrown into his courtyard and bullets past his head but he survived. His neighbors on the other side, an elderly Russian couple did not. He is showing that the Ushpizin sign in his succah remained intact. He is also a volunteer in the soup kitchen.

She says the soup kitchen lost several key volunteers who had been there just days before the attack organising food to go to needy families.

Packing resilience kits for traumatised children. Pic: Project Impact

Other volunteers with Fehler are packing and delivering 1000s of resilience kit for traumatised children in the south, with calming arts, stress relieving toys and activity booklets as well as running children programmes in hotels.

They have launched an international letter writing campaign to support Israel, not just for soldiers but also for medical staff, hospital patients and families from the south. So far they have received over 1800 letters from across the world, which they are printing and distributing on a daily basis.

Chayli, (far right) with volunteers in Ofakim. Pic: Project Impact

Fehler says: “The most meaningful part of being here is going to the shivas, and listening to the families tell stories about those they have lost. Each family wanted to share their story. They wanted the international community to know what happened.

“Visiting as a British national, means so much to these families. It’s showing them that the diaspora support them fully and they are not alone.

“When everything happened I felt a strong sense of duty to help in any way I could. I will return to London shortly and my team will continue with the projects that have been launched.”

https://www.projectimpact.org.uk/

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