Together, We Can Make A Difference
Dear Friends:
To all of you who have reached out to us over the past several years to ask us what you can do to alleviate the humanitarian crisis affecting Syria and its people, thank you.
We know 2020 has been quite a year and hope all of you and your loved ones are healthy. We realize that your ability to give might be constrained this year and of course understand. If, however, it's still in your means and are looking for organizations to donate to, please consider this appeal.
To consolidate our responses and efforts, during the giving season of 2015, we set up fundraiser pages for three different organizations. We chose these organizations because they do great work, and we believe in them. Importantly, they are founded by Syrians and/or Syrian Americans. We have personally committed to these organizations and will continue to support them. Many of you have joined us, and your generosity has been incredible.
Since we launched these pages, during the 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 giving seasons, thanks to you, we have together raised nearly $75,000!
The need, however, only continues to grow. We hope that if it's in your means, you will consider contributing -- either again or for the first time.
Please find below a short description of each group and a link for donating. On those pages you can learn more about each organization. No contribution is too small. You will also have the option to choose a recurring donation. As the news headlines have shown us everyday, the crisis in Syria is not remote. We believe in these organizations because they are investing in Syria’s people, especially its future generations.
All your donations are tax-deductible.
THANK YOU! The Malek Family
In no particular order these organizations are:
The Smile & Olive Foundation
The Smile & Olive Foundation (a US nonprofit) is a volunteer effort by Syrian-Americans to raise funds to support Basmeh & Zeitooneh (a Lebanese nonprofit). B&Z is committed to serving Syrian refugees and the communities that are hosting them mostly in Lebanon but also in Turkey and Northern Iraq. They provide the range of services refugees need in order to live a life of dignity. They have established community centers that are friendly and welcoming spaces where refugees can receive relief services, medical assistance, vocational training, schooling, peace education for their children, and employment.
Since the beginning, B&Z has believed its role is to create avenues to empower those affected by the conflict by developing their skills and reviving their sense of humanity and dignity.
Today, the organization serves an estimated 17,214 Syrian individuals in Beirut alone, and employs more than two hundred full-time staff members. B&Z has also opened community centers in Burj Al Barajneh, Tripoli, and the Bekaa Valley, with another underway in Gaziantep, Turkey.
(Alia sits on US & global boards.)
INARA
INARA provides life-saving and life-altering medical care for children from conflict areas who have catastrophic injury or illness and are unable to access treatment due to war.
INARA's program was borne out of Arwa Damon's (CNN Senior International Correspondent) direct experience on the ground in conflict zones. An internal assessment conducted in 2015 highlighted gaps in the provision of healthcare to refugee children in Lebanon. This verified the need for an organization to respond to gaps in pre-existing medical care whilst also ensuring that INARA did not duplicate efforts of other humanitarian organizations.
INARA currently provides medical care to Syrian refugees, Palestine refugees from Syria and other refugee children impacted by conflict. It funds reconstructive, plastic and orthopedic surgery for soft tissue wounds and burn scars which have a physiological impact. If a child is referred to INARA and pre-existing medical care is available, INARA works to connect them to its network of humanitarian organizations and medical service providers.
INARA has built a strong network of humanitarian organizations and medical providers. This allows INARA to identify existing healthcare provision and connect the child successfully.
Karam
Karam (which means generosity in Arabic) is a non-profit organization on a mission to build a better future for Syria. It develops Innovative Education programs for Syrian refugee youth, distributes Smart Aid to Syrian families, and funds Sustainable Development projects initiated by Syrians for Syrians inside Syria.
Karam was founded in 2007 in Chicago — a small, non-profit organization determined to do big things. Their vision was to give what was needed to those who needed it anywhere around the world. Ten years ago, it started with a food drive on the south-side of Chicago. Today, its impact expands across Syria, Turkey, Lebanon, and Jordan, building a better future for thousands of Syrian families.
Karam is dedicated to helping people help themselves. It seeks to restore the dignity and quality of life for people affected by conflict by eliminating barriers to success through innovative education, entrepreneurial development, and community-driven aid.
Guided by the aspirations of the people Karam serves, it pursues this mission with compassion, transparency, and generosity.