Displaced Family From the North Helped to Re-start Their Lives

Two weeks ago, A Future and A Hope experienced what some might call a ‘Divine Appointment’ when we participated in a two-day conference for organizations providing humanitarian aid in the Body of Messiah. The conference was held in a hotel that had been hosting, since 2023, dozens of families displaced from their homes due to the war being in the north and the missiles fired from Lebanon by Hezbollah terrorists (see infographic for more information). Now many of these families had either already returned to their homes in the north, or were preparing to leave.

The Reality of Displacement

Just being in the hotel reminded us of our own involvement with many of Northern Israel’s displaced residents. Not long after their displacement, doors opened for us to help several women and single-parent families who were suddenly far from their homes, with barely more than the clothes on their backs. Their lives had been irrevocably interrupted. Some of their homes had been hit by missiles, others were pock-marked with bullet holes, and yet others were burned wholly or partially by fires that devastated many of the northern communities. Their businesses closed. Their children's education was disrupted by school closures. For the duration of their displacement, the vast majority of northern residents were housed by the government in hotels and kibbutzim. But government stipends wouldn’t begin to cover the additional costs of displacement. The life savings of these displaced Israelis was slowly being used up.

Their stories were heartbreaking, and we were honored to bring hope and a future into their lives. By God’s grace, we were able to assist several pregnant women and provide them with all the basic items needed for their newborn’s first year of life. Our driver, David, was willing to travel, deliver, and set up new baby equipment, wherever the families had been relocated, even while missiles flew overhead throughout Israel.

Meeting Families in Need

All these memories were fresh in our minds during the Messianic humanitarian aid conference. On the second day of the conference, we “happened” to meet two families who had been displaced from Kiryat Shmona. They had been living in small rooms in the hotel for more than a year but had just been notified that they needed to vacate the hotel by the end of March. While most of the families were ready to leave, their lives had been dramatically altered in nearly every way. Despite their efforts to adapt, their current situation was vastly different from their lives in Kiryat Shmona. They all longed to return home, but what would they find when they returned? Destroyed homes, unusable furniture, jobs that may no longer exist, schools that might not immediately reopen. As they shared their stories, it became clear that they faced the daunting task of rebuilding their lives from the ground up.

In the course of our conversation, we had the opportunity of sharing with them who we are, what we do, and our willingness to help, particularly, but not limited to, single-parent families. Contact information was exchanged and tried to encourage these families who were about to embark on their return to Kiryat Shmona—and not knowing how they would cope or what lay before them.

Less than two weeks after the conference ended, one of the women with whom we had talked called and asked whether our offer to help was still available. We reassured her that we were truly committed to helping those in need, which is at the heart of our mission at A Future and A Hope. She then began to share with us about the difficult situation being faced by her niece Janette.*

*name changed to protect her privacy

Janette’s Story: Restoring Hope and Joy

Janette had lived in Kiryat Shmona and was one of the displaced multitudes. Newly wed, she and her husband had been evacuated to a kibbutz in the center of the country almost a year and a half ago.

A few months ago, Janette discovered she was pregnant with their first child. Worry and anxiety attacked the young couple at the mere thought of bringing a child into a world where war was raging. They were living in a one-room kibbutz apartment, which supplied them with a bed and minimal items for daily living. But now, like her aunt whom we had met, she and her husband were faced with having to leave the kibbutz by the end of March and to return to Kiryat Shmona. But returning was not so simple. The apartment they had been renting before being displaced had been destroyed—and everything in it. They now faced finding a new place to live, furnishing it, and acquiring at least the minimal items necessary for everyday life. How would they ever be able to afford what was needed for their baby who was due to make his grand arrival in April?

We immediately contacted Janette and had a long conversation with her. First and foremost, we promised to provide all the needed equipment (brand new) for her newborn through our First Year of Life program. In addition to supplying her with all the for their newborn, we advised that, by the Grace of God, we would also provide as much furniture as possible. She responded with great joy, mixed with tears of gratitude and thankfulness to God, and blessing upon blessing bestowed upon A Future and A Hope and all those who are part of it. Our tears blended with hers in a fountain of joy.

Since that call, Janette and her husband have found an apartment to rent in Kiryat Shmona and will move in before the end of this month (March). All of the items for the First Year of Life have been ordered and paid for and will be delivered to their home by the time their baby is born. All Praise to God!

The Ongoing Need

There is a tremendous need to assist families, particularly single-parent families, who were displaced and are now returning to their homes in the north. For thousands, from a practical point of view, there is no home to return to. Most of the houses are in need of extensive renovations. As Janette’s aunt explains, “We and our family fled the house with our children and whatever clothes we could carry. Everything else was left in the house.”

For them and thousands of other families, once electricity was disconnected, food was left to rot in refrigerators and freezers. Wild animals, rodents, and pigeons entered the evacuated homes. Evidence of war was left on doors, windows, and walls. Moreover, schools and kindergartens have not yet resumed normal functioning and the recent flare up in the north is leading to new closers in the region. Reality has become bleak and surreal.

Our organization has supplied humanitarian aid to needy families in the north as well as in other parts of the country. As we receive, so we give. While it took Janette and her aunt some time to understand and believe that we really do provide help without asking for anything in return – when that reality finally sank in, thanks accompanied by tears and blessings overflowed.

Thank You and Partner with Us

For those of you who already support A Future and A Hope, thank you for all you have done to make our vision a reality.

If you are new to A Future and A Hope, prayerfully consider becoming part of what we are doing. You can share in the blessing of giving with a cheerful heart and be assured that this deed will stand the test of both time and eternity.

Whether you are new or old to A Future and A Hope, we look forward to hearing from you soon.

With thankfulness,

Marvin, for us all