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A Timely Gift in Kind (GIK) Makes All the Difference
A cornerstone of our work, GIK leverages our networks to connect people in need with resources throughout Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan.
For 66-year-old Rula, who lives in Jerash Camp with her sons and their wives and children, altogether eleven people, winter in Jordan is a cold and harsh prospect. The homes in the camp are not weatherized, and most suffer from dampness thanks to dilapidated roofing. Mold, too, is an issue, particularly for the elderly and for children. To add to these hardships, families like Rula’s are burdened by the high cost of heating.
“I am greatly affected by the cold weather,” Rula says, “I am unable to move due to an amputation in my foot, and other chronic illnesses. The cold is a bad period as it makes me feel more ill.”
The children in the house, too, suffer from the cold, with respiratory issues. Unlike in the previous winter, when the only source of heat was wood, this year, the heated TravlerPack sleeping bags that she received—“at the appropriate time and before the severely cold days”— provided consistent protection from the extreme cold, particularly at night, when the need to keep firewood refreshed and lit until morning was no longer necessary. In addition, Rula shared that “the bags were instrumental in saving us money that would have been used to purchase heating materials.” Instead, the family was able to use those funds to buy needed food and medications.
Rula’s grandchild enjoys the warmth of a TravlerPack sleeping bag
“The sleeping bags were instrumental in saving us money that would have been used to purchase heating materials.” —Rula, TravlerPack recipient
20 ANNUAL REPORT 2023