Fares needs your help.
Donation protected
Thank you for clicking on this link and coming this far! Please read Fares & his family’s story below.
If you would prefer to give directly & put more money in the hands of this family and none in the hands of gofundme, donate at the link below:
This is two of Fares’s 3 brothers, and his father.
Mustafa & Rakan
Fares setting up his family’s tent.
Mustafa visiting the medical tent for treatment.
Fares during one of the ELEVEN displacements his family has endured.
Fares in front of his family home before 10/7
Hello, My name is Katina. I am fromPensacola, Florida. I am no one special; just a wife & mom with a heart to help when and where I can. My husband & I both work hard to try to make ends meet and we struggle like so many out there do. But this fund is not for myself.
I have created this fund for Fares Abu Raida and his family in Gaza, specifically in Khan Yunis. At only 20,
he is the oldest of four children. As most other families they were displaced when their home was bombed by the occupation. His father, Ihab, mother, Hiyam and brothers, Muhammed, Mustafa, Rakan are scattered among family members in Rafah due to their not having a tent of their own. Fares is staying 5 miles from his parents with a friend‘s family in West Khan-Yunis so that he can then only have to walk a mile to have a signal to attempt to communicate and connect to the outside world.
Fares first reached out to me in February asking for help. Their family had run out of the money they had when displaced. He wanted to be able to buy food for his family.
I, like you may be right now, was very suspicious. I sincerely wanted to help, but there are so many scams. So I denied him the help he humbled himself and reached out for. That was so incredibly difficult for me. BUT! Fares continued to just talk. So much was lost in translation but over time I learned so much about Fares and his family. He shared his dreams before the latest aggression, to marry his beloved, to visit America, to one day know what it is like to be outside of Gaza; to have a future, a life and a family. He shared with me on the days when he was sad and how helpless he feels to make his family’s situation better. For two months through talking to him, his sharing videos and photos and having video chats when he was able to get a connection and by verifying the information he was giving me with others that I know with family members in Gaza, I felt confident enough that I had begun to send him a small amount of money when I was able. I feel that it was at least a small little something I could do as I stared at my phone screen day after day watching horror after horror. He then asked if I would be willing to set up a gofundme and sent me the page of a friend of his who had one set up for him. I told him I would look into it.
After looking at several different platforms and doing as much reading as I could I decided to attempt to launch a campaign for him. It was two weeks of them asking for more and more info from Fares and a lot of waiting for it to be verified. It was then another week of waiting for both bank accounts to be verified. I’ll be honest, at times I would have a flash of fear that the feds were going to come through my door any minute or my families bank accounts were about to be shut down or something crazy. But I’m also stubborn and don’t give up easily when it comes to something my heart is attached to. So! Here is what I have come up with. My feeble attempt at making a difference in the life of just ONE of the millions of families suffering in Palestine currently.
When I asked Fares what he would like me to say for his campaign he said that he was only wishing to be able to raise enough for he and his family to survive and to shelter together. He said he wanted a tent for them to be able to be together as a family. He wants food to feed his family and some essential supplies. He said he would like clean clothes for his mother & new shoes for all of his family. He said he would also like to be able to get some toys for his brothers. Fares is able to purchase a tent for $200 USD. I have set the goal at $1000 so they may also get needed supplies and food. If you are able, please consider giving any amount toward this family’s survival.
Fares said to me recently, “You are stronger than the occupation”. I didn’t understand what he meant at first, but he clarified, “they are attempting to starve us, but you are going to feed us”.
Please, if you’re able, your donation of any amount is greatly appreciated.
8.11.24- The story above was published only three months ago and Fares & his family have been through so much. Fares has been shot in the foot by a quadcopter, sustained an Injury and had to have shrapnel removed from his leg, his family has been ill, they have been displaced ELEVEN times. They have gone days at a time sleeping in the streets or without food and water. Rakan, the youngest, is suffering from malnutrition.
His mother Hiyam and I have become close and my heart breaks for them all daily.
Because of the many changes, the goals of this campaign have had to be adjusted several times. This fund will be primarily used for Fares’s evacuation when the border opens. The most recent figures say it will be $5000 to cross. He will, of course need to be able to sustain himself and have money for travel and housing once he has crossed over. From there he hopes to be able to be able to work better assist his family in raising money for their evacuation as well. You can reach out to Fates’ directly via his instagram :
To find out more about this and other efforts visit our non- profit’s webpage
There are no words to express the gratitude myself, the team that we have formed and Fares and his family have toward all who donate.
Please consider making a regular donation to support this young man long-term.
You may also donate for his daily needs via my PayPal.
MY PAYPAL
What has Fares and his family done to deserve having their dreams, health, home, and lives destroyed?
Organizer
Katina Willey
Organizer
Pensacola, FL