Sderot is right on the Israeli border with the Gaza Strip, within easy range of every rocket, mortar and missile fired by Hamas – over 8,000 in the last 10 years. Sderot was once a prosperous town, but with its proximity to the Gaza border both industry and many of its wealthier citizens have moved to “safer” parts of Israel.
HOT has been working for many years with Reut Sderot, a one-stop all-you-can-do Tzedakah organization. HOT and its donors have paid for fixing up bomb shelters so they could be used by afterschool programs. We have paid for food for the hungry (about 30% of the people in Sderot are regulars at the social welfare office). We have paid for summer day camp for kids whose parents work, and otherwise would be left at home or on the streets.
We have been supporting Sderot even when it was not in the news. Why? Because the brave people who live there constantly feel the effects of the more than 8,000 rockets. The fear of whether a rocket will hit there home today and kill them and their children does not go away because of a one day, one week, or one month gap since the last rocket.
A month or so ago, while we were in Israel, we were scheduled to visit Sderot. The deadly terrorist attack at the Egyptian border happened the day we landed. And then the Hamas decided to shower Israel with rockets, mortars and missiles, including many aimed at Sderot. We had to cancel our visit.
The latest request from Reut Sderot is to have shading tents placed over 4 play areas where kids participate in special afterschool programs (until 7:30 pm) can play. Right now, it is open to the brutal southern Negev sun – regularly reaching the 90s, and keeping the kids exposed to sunburn and other effects. HOT has agreed to pay for one at a cost of $1,914.
We are asking our donors to designate:
$5,742 to buy three more shading tents each costing $1,914
$2,727 to buy outdoor playground equipment costing $909 per playground