Sow the seeds of recovery
FOR MORE than 30 years, Green Sunday has been JNF UK’s flagship fundraising event, for many becoming as synonymous with the JNF UK brand as the Blue Box and tree planting. Since its inception, the annual event has raised millions to support JNF UK’s projects across Israel. Green Sunday brings together volunteers of all ages and walks of life, who converge at JNF UK’s London headquarters and together with staff spend the day calling on the UK Jewish community to pledge their support for Israel.
Green Sunday 2019 kicks off on February 10 and this year JNF UK is raising money for the embattled communities sitting close to the Gaza border. Last year, more than 1,000 rockets and mortars hit southern Israel from Gaza, wreaking unimaginable havoc and hardship on these communities. On November 12 alone, more than 300 rockets were fired into Israel, the highest number in a single day, including during previous wars.
These communities need our support the entire year, not just in times of emergency. The objective of this year’s Green Sunday Appeal is to help bring some normality back into the lives of residents and provide them with the tools to do this. To achieve this, JNF UK is working in three key areas — youth empowerment, community cohesion and family time and respite — to provide a sustainable way to help transform the lives of residents and provide a better way of life for them.
YOUTH EMPOWERMENT Money raised from Green Sunday will help expand JNF UK’s youth leadership programmes in the region. These bring together pre-army volunteers who provide those communities with much-needed support, services and practical help. They bring energy to the area and participants learn key life skills that stand them in good stead for their army service and life after.
COMMUNITY COHESION
JNF UK has been renovating community centres, the heart and soul of communal living — especially in remote areas. Here, residents come together to socialise, take part in leisure activities and get away from the everyday.
FAMILY TIME AND RESPITE
JNF UK has built parks and playgrounds, where families can come together and children can be children again.
With your help, JNF can expand the leadership programmes, both in numbers and scope. It can renovate more community centres to benefit residents in other towns. It can build more parks and playgrounds, so these embattled communities can live as normal a life as you and I.
0800 901 333, jnf.co.uk/donate Registered charity 225910