Over the past fourteen years Sderot has been the primary target for terrorists from Gaza. The years of Kassam rocket attacks have taken their toll not only on the innocent men, woman, and children of Sderot, but on the economy as well.

As the Kassams continued to fall the manufacturing sector moved to safer locations in Israel, taking many jobs with them, and leaving high unemployment with few opportunities for finding a job that could sustain a family. The city government suffered as well as its tax base left town. Some of those revenues were picked up by organizations and wealthy business-owners to the tune of 25 million shekels a year; that was as long as the Kassams were falling. Once the Kassams slowed down to only a few a month charitable donations to the city also dried up, leaving the town in what some estimate could be in a deficit of hundreds of millions.

The present city government is faced with hard decisions as it works its way back into the “Black”. Part of their strategy is to cut back on the size of the city government, which wasn’t well received by many opponents of the current government or by the more than eighty city or privately contracted employees who were handed pink slips last month.

Needless to say, Hope for Sderot has seen an influx of people asking for our help. We haven’t had to turn anyone away, but that is only because there are a few who for one reason or another do not pick up their food. We can therefore call those on our waiting list to have them come in and pick up their much-needed help. We could use your help more now than ever.

If you too are facing economic hard times and are unable to send a gift, we understand, but we would ask that maybe you could forward this new letter to those on your mailing list or who are part of your synagogue or church or whatever group you are affiliated with.

The old adage “Many hands make light work” is so true. Two thousand people giving five dollars a month allow us the ability to help five hundred families a month. But we need your help to get the word out, to share the reality of life in Sderot with your friends. Please, if you can’t help with a gift, please pass this on to your friends and let’s make feeding 500 families a reality. If you are able and would like to help click here to get started.