Hmidat Family Survival Fund

Iyad Hmidat's family (of seven) is seeking a way to escape the daily violence, lack of food and medical care in Gaza, Palestine, their beloved home. Iyad, Heba (his wife), Nabil (his brother), Ishaq (his father), Yosra (his mother), Heba Mabrouk (Yosra's cousin), and Seba Mabrouk (Heba's daughter) need $35,000 just to cross the border into Egypt and additional funds for ongoing rent and after their crossing as well as other costs of resettlement.

Every penny raised will go directly to the Hmidat family via direct wire transfer from a dedicated checking account. My wife and I will add funds to cover the fees charged by GoFundMe and the bank so that 100% of your donation will go directly to Iyad's family.

Iyad's grandfather Nabil died after October 7th because he was not able to get his pacemaker due to the lack of anesthesia and other medical supplies needed for the operation. Yosra has not been getting needed medications as she recovers from her battle with cancer. They need to get out of Gaza for survival until the violence diminishes, then they plan to return and help rebuild the country. Ahmed Mabrouk (Yosra's cousin & Heba's older brother) has been missing and unaccounted for the past month with no news about his whereabouts or state.

My wife and I were Iyad's host family here in Westerville, Ohio while he attended one year of high school 2014/15 through the YES program. After he returned home he was awarded a full-ride scholarship to study Political Science & Economics at Bridgewater College (2016-2020) where Iyad was an active student at the college as he founded two student organizations in addition to serving in the college's student government. Upon returning to Gaza in 2020 he committed himself to doing what he could to improve the economy of his country. He founded Yaffa Solutions, a software development and related consulting services company in 2023 and hired 6 developers to serve my clients in the United States. Things were going great until October 7th, 2023.

The photo shows what remains of their home in Gaza City. Please consider giving whatever amount you can to help this family survive the tragedy so they can return and build a better tomorrow in Gaza.

Why is it expensive to find safety? The cost of getting permission (known as "coordination") to enter Egypt is $5000 per adult. Which brings us to $35,000 just to reach safety. It is important to note that there is a delay of 5 weeks between paying for the permission and the day of leaving Gaza.