Friends old and new alike, for my 30th birthday this year, I am organizing a special party with friends. In light of the party, we hope to gather our community and organize with some collective power by raising money for an important cause. While there are so many important causes and organizations to support and we wish we could publicize and support them all, we call upon our communities and ourselves to act in solidarity with the people of Lebanon. Reaching into our pockets and donating whatever you can contribute to the decimated city's rebuild and support for the lives of those most in need. As many of you know, the catastrophic explosion in the port area of the Lebanese capital city, Beirut, on Tuesday, August 4th, 2020, led to more than 200 deaths, 5,000+ injured, and 300,000 displaced individuals. As a result of the explosion, the Port of Beirut is now completely decimated. The grain silos that hold 85% of the country's wheat supply have been wiped out, and homes and properties were destroyed within a 6-mile blast radius of the explosion. We are raising money to benefit BEIT EL BARAKA USA, and any donation will help make an impact. This organization works in several sectors including the following: free and accessible supermarkets, decent housing, medical support, agriculture, education, and blast relief.  Please consider that BEIT EL BARAKA USA: Beit El Baraka is designated as a US charitable organization. All donations are tax-deductible; your donations to the Rebuild Beirut Fund are eligible for 501c3 tax exemption. While many of us may be facing hardships of our own due to the COVID-19 pandemic and social injustices, I am asking you as friends and fellow humanitarians to act in solidarity with the Lebanese people by contributing what you can. Thanks in advance for your contribution to this cause that means so much to me. 

Why I Care: 

As some of you may know, Relief and Rebuild Beirut is a cause central to my identity and dear to my heart. As a multi-ethnic Lebanese-American, I have many family members whose homes and livelihoods are based there, which hits particularly close to home. Beyond my connection, this continues to be a national tragedy that deserves global attention and support. Lebanon is facing a humanitarian disaster on top of a pandemic and multiple intersecting crises ranging from economic and political to energy and public health crises. My dad grew up in Beirut, Lebanon, in the area that was impacted by the explosion. Before the explosion, his stories sweetly lingered in me. Of him swimming in the Mediterranean beaches after school on hot summer days or buying a coke-a-cola for 10 cents to compliment a falafel sandwich from the local street market he intimately knew. Or his grandmother yelling in Arabic at the top of her lungs from their high-rise apartment building for him and his brothers and sisters to come home for lunch as they played on the busy street below. My family and I hoped to one day visit these beaches he fondly speaks of, the streets he lovingly remembers, and the childhood home he longs to see again. Tragically, now those beaches are polluted with shattered glass and remnants of decimated homes from the explosion, the markets that smelled of falafel and shawarma are now filled with debris that smell of ash and smoke. Nothing is left of the home my dad grew up in but his memories. 

All we have are our memories and hope now. I hope to help build new memories and contribute to the resilience and solidarity that continues to sustain the country. One day stepping on the ground where the streets bustle with taxis and the land is fertile with the roots of new cedar trees. Markets smell of delicious food, buildings stand tall with a community of vibrant people singing and dancing through the night. The beaches receding with a beautiful shoreline and with every exquisite sunrise and sunset, the spirits of those who no longer live are remembered. And those who do live are eased of their pain and nurtured through endless hardship. 

 Please continue to spread awareness and share this fundraiser with others if you cannot donate at this time! I appreciate your time and consideration. 

More information about BEIT EL BARAKA USA: Beit El Baraka (https://beitelbaraka.org/) is an NGO based in Lebanon with a partnership with Beit El Baraka in Virginia, USA, a registered 501(c)3 organization. BEB's mission is to ensure a sense of dignity and assistance for people in need in Lebanon, especially after Beirut's massive explosion.

For photos of the aftermath, please visit: https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2020/08/photos-aftermath-beirut-explosion/614968/