The Fellowship approved an emergency support grant for olim that provides funding for families who have recently moved to Israel and are facing financial or personal hardship because of the war with Iran.
Igor and Olga’s family were evacuated from their apartment after it was struck by a missile. Sadly, this was not the first time the family had been forced to leave their home behind.
Igor and Olga have three daughters: Mariana is 15; Gabriela is seven; and Adele is three. The family made aliyah in 2019 on an emergency evacuation flight from Mariupol, Ukraine. At that time, they only had Mariana. In 2022, they were joined in Israel by Igor’s grandmother, parents, and brother. The family has always been close-knit and supportive of one another during times of crisis, but nothing could have prepared them for this year.
On March 2, Igor and Olga’s building was struck by an Iranian ballistic missile. While Olga and the girls made it to the shelter in time, Igor did not and was seriously injured. After three months of treatment, he recovered. Their apartment, however, did not. All the windows were blown out, the walls were riddled with holes from shrapnel and flying glass, and all their furniture and appliances were destroyed. That night, the family slept in their car.
Igor said, “We were temporarily put in an absorption center, and the first people who came to visit us, check on us, and ask what we needed were coordinators from The Fellowship. We were truly amazed when we received a gift of 1,000 shekels from The Fellowship to buy food. And that was not all. Our eldest daughter was also given a laptop computer. That laptop solved two more problems for us. Our oldest daughter was able to continue online studying, and the younger ones could watch their favorite cartoons before bed.”
The family eventually found and moved into a new apartment, but it had no furniture or appliances. With The Fellowship’s help, they were able to purchase essentials such as an oven, washing machine, dining table, and chairs. They had nearly lost everything in an instant, but The Fellowship was there to help them rebuild their lives.
“Thank you so much for not remaining indifferent and for sharing a piece of your warmth with us. We wish that all the good you do will return to you a hundredfold. May peace, comfort, and well-being fill your homes,” Igor wrote in a letter to The Fellowship.
“You are my hiding place; you will protect me from trouble and surround me with songs of deliverance” (Psalm 32:7).
