Medicanes & Winter Warnings

We'll be there with coats and quilts for the needy

by Karen Reiffman

0 Comments | Sunday, November 03, 2019 under Volunteering, Emergency Fund, Winter Warmth Campaign

Have you ever heard of a "medicane"? I’ll be the first to admit that it's a new word for me, one that I just learned. It turns out, that though (in my opinion) it sounds like something you’d pick up at the pharmacy, it's a combination of “Mediterranean” and “hurricane”, used to describe a hurricane-like storm in - you guessed it - the Mediterranean, and we experienced one of these (albeit a lighter version of one) in Israel recently.

The medicane was the latest in a string of several other sporadic stormy events that took place since summer’s end. Over the last few weeks, starting during Sukkot, there have been a few downpours, a couple of lightning storms and several cold snaps. They were all short lived but they’ve given us the hint that winter is definitely on its way.

We've been getting ready

Anyone at Yad Eliezer can tell you, though, that we don’t need to wait for an early season medicane to warn us about the winter. We’ve been preparing for it for months, gearing up for our Winter Warmth campaign. Before the summer began, we placed a custom order for 9000 winter coats (6000 children’s sizes, and 3000 womens’ sizes) 10,000 heavy blankets and hundreds of heaters. Our advance order enabled us to get a discounted price on high quality items-stretching our dollars and shekels so we can expand our reach and help a larger number of people. Operating as effectively as possible distinguishes Yad Eliezer as one of the most efficient among top Israeli charities.

Requests for winter help started coming into the Yad Eliezer office even pre-medicane. Needy families know that the real winter weather-biting cold, freezing rain and strong winds-will likely arrive at a moment’s notice. And if they can’t get help, then once it does it will be too late. Struggling parents know they’ll have no way to keep their children warm - day or night - for months. Without a good coat to wear outside and a thick blanket to sleep under inside, the winter is a terrible, insufferable time of year.

Your help makes a difference

But we know it doesn’t have to be like that and we can do something about it-with our donors' help. Every donation to the Winter Warmth campaign, contributing towards our purchase and then distribution of winter necessities, will make a difference. We can put coats on kids' backs and blankets on their beds-providing them with warmth and dignity.

We hope that this winter, no request will go unanswered and despite the cold and rain and any other medicanes that may happen to come our way, we will bring comfort and joy to children and adults throughout the country and throughout the season.

Countless families are so grateful for Yad Eliezer's cold weather help. Read some of their thanks, here.

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