Lift the Children, Feed the People: A Fundraiser for Gaza

Recently, Nick Fuller Googins, Nathan Conroy, and I (Mira Ptacin) got together to talk about how we simply cannot sit silent in the face of genocide, and brainstormed about what we could do to help our brothers and sisters in Gaza. Despite being a small axe in Portland, Maine, we know we can do something. Nick's idea: raise a boatload of money to send directly to those in Palestine.

This fundraiser is our collective act of resistance: a way to push back against the violence carried out with our tax dollars, and to stand with those struggling for dignity, survival, and justice in Gaza. Our goal is simple: to raise as much money as we can.

And so, we are asking you to join us. We are coming to you with the goal of--as a community who cares--raising funds for The Center for Freedom and Justice, a Palestinian non-profit getting food directly into Gaza through life-saving convoys. We can’t stop the bombs, but we can help the people living beneath them.

About The Center for Freedom and Justice Foundation (CFJ):

The Center for Freedom and Justice (CFJ) is a non-governmental organization registered in Palestine (Registration No. QR-0142-F), founded in 2008 to meet a wide range of sustainable development needs in Beit Ummar and surrounding areas.

CFJ is a non-profit organization committed to addressing cultural, social, and economic challenges in Palestinian communities. Through partnerships with both local and international organizations, as well as grassroots projects, CFJ works to empower youth, women, children, and farmers—fostering solidarity, self-reliance, and dignity.

Grounded in the values of freedom, democracy, and nonviolent resistance, CFJ upholds international laws and human rights standards in all its efforts.

The organization leads a variety of programs that reflect the complexity of life under occupation, including initiatives in peacebuilding, cultural preservation, environmental protection, and economic development.

We will be hosting a fundraising event on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM at Novel Bar & Cafe in Portland, Maine, for this cause, but if you cannot make it, you are welcome to donate through the link here on GoFundMe.

We all do better when we all do better.

Love,

Mira, Nathan, and Nick

Cover art by Simone Ptacin-Jackson