SCM is supporting International Humanitarian Relief (IHR), an organization that is helping the Syrian refugees in Lebanon.  IHR Is working very hard around the clock in order to help the unfortunate displaced Syrians in the border town of Arsal, Lebanon.

Salaam Cultural Museum is trying to help and support their efforts as well as other humanitarian organizations in the absence of the UN workforce. Yesterday from 11 pm to 3:30 am IHR and medical teams responded to SOS distress calls from over 1500 Syrians in a convoy at the Lebanese-Syrian border, in the open without food, medicine, or shelter. IHR workers said IT FELT LIKE A BIBLICAL EXODUS .

Medicine . Food . First aid care and medical services were provided in a make shift clinics. Mostly kids, women and the elderly, suffering from dehydration, shock, trauma, GI issues, and respiratory problems.

SCM will continue to help IHR as much as we can, the need at the border in Lebanon is getting bigger and bigger, so we will do what we can. Please click here to contribute to SCM to help International Humanitarian Relief.

Thank you.

 

Thanks to all of your donations to the Ramadan food drive we were able to provide 500 boxes of food for the Syrian refugees around Madaba, and another 200 families in Al Hamra, a village we visited on our last mission in June.

In addition to the packages of food, we also distributed clothing, small hygiene kits for the children, wheel chairs and walkers. The kits were put together here in our office in Seattle, and sent over to Jordan with people who were traveling there over the summer – a big thank you to all that were able to take an extra suitcase with you for us!

Below are photos of the distribution from our warehouse in Madaba (the evening photos), and then at the village of Al Hamra (in the daylight). Rita’s family in Madaba helped organize the distribution – checking people on the list to make sure everyone received their packages, crowd control, taking photos of the event, plus 3 Syrians who also helped with the handing out of the items. There are 30,000 Syrian refugees in the Madaba area.

We have received an update on Hassan, the young Syrian man who is suffering from a tumor on his leg. We have been collecting funds to help pay for his surgeries and chemotherapy treatments. Thank you to all who have donated to his fund. This is a quick message from Dr. Aws Shaker, our local physician who is keeping tabs on Hassan and his treatment for us:

I contacted Hasan’s family yesterday
he started with chemotherapy
received 2 sessions till now
last one was 1 week ago
next one will be after 2 weeks

he just delayed because his condition get worse
but he is better now
I contacted Jordanian organization (JHAS)
they donate him with 5000 JD (around 7000 $) as cash money
and pay for hospital 2000 JD (around 3000$)
I also asked Italian organization (Un Ponte Per) and they donate for primary investigations with 1500 JD (around 2000$)
so now he is covered almost for investigations and chemotherapy (still need a little bit more for chemo)
and still don’t know what to do for the surgery
anyway his father is so thankful for everyone who donates for his son.

Aws

Salaam Cultural Museum will be sending a container of supplies to Jordan in early October. The exact date has not been set yet but will be posted as soon as we have it. We are aiming for the first week in October. We will be filling the container with warm winter clothing, school supplies and medical supplies.

How you can help us fill the container:

Please bring or send your donations to our office at 3806 Whitman Ave. N, Seattle WA 98103

CLOTHING: We need winter clothing for all ages. No shoes. Please consider new socks and undergarments, warm sweaters and shirts, pants, leggings, coats. Please have all clothes clean and folded and in good repair, and put them in a heavy duty plastic storage bin. You can also include clean blankets or quilts. Place a list on the top of the clothes before you put the lid on.  We will not be accepting items in plastic garbage bags for this container due to logistical constraints.

TOYS: We will take new in the package toys or close to new toys to give to the children as gifts. If the toy is used please make sure it is clean and all pieces are there. Please do not include any toys that promote or depict violence or are war related (toy guns, tanks, planes, etc). Also, we cannot accept toys with batteries in them – remove the batteries and send them in a plastic baggie.

BACKPACKS: School supplies are in need for the refugee children. Getting the children back to school is very important to their ability to cope. It adds a spot of normalcy in an otherwise completely upended life. To help them, we want to provide backpacks filled with school supplies for children ages 5 and up. You can donate a backpack filled with the following items and send it to our office for inclusion in the container:

• Notebooks
• Pencils and pens
• Pencil sharpener and erasers
• Pencil bag
• Notebooks
• Crayons (no more than a 24 pack)
• Coloring books
• Puzzles and other brain games

HYGIENE KITS: You can also put together kits containing tooth brushes, toothpaste, small travel size soap and hand sanitizer, mirror, washcloth, hair brush. You can make bags for boys and girls, by adding specific items like hair clips, nail polish, hair bands etc. for girls and things like stickers, temporary tattoos, etc for boys.

MEDICATIONS/MEDICAL EQUIPMENT: We are still collecting medical equipment and non-narcotic/OTC medications, just be sure that any pills do not contain gelatin. The medical supplies will be packed separately from the clothes and blankets so please do not put them in the plastic bins. Crutches, wheelchairs (especially for children), walkers, and other mobility devices are needed as well.

MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS: We have a music program at the Malki-SCM Children’s Center and they are in need of small instruments. Anything is great, but please, if the instrument is such that it requires a case for transport (like a violin) please include the case. If there is no case for the instrument, the chances are that it will be ruined during shipping.

 

 

We just received this update from The Syria Campaign: 

Rita — good news on Syria,

An hour ago the UN Security Council voted to let food and medicine cross borders and conflict lines and reach millions of people who need it. It’s one of the few moments that the Council has united for Syria — a rare occasion when Russia and China haven’t used their veto.

After you joined the campaign demanding action on UN aid into Syria, insiders told us that our voices were heard at the highest levels. This same public pressure combined with weeks of intense negotiations and lobbying have brought us to this point. There’s no pretending this is an ideal resolution, but it could make a difference to 2 million Syrians.

Over the next few weeks we’ll have to make sure that Resolution 2165 doesn’t just amount to another piece of paper. But for now, I just wanted to share this update with you and show that public pressure works.

I’ll be in touch soon,
Anna

We have confirmed the dates for our November medical mission to Jordan: November 8 – 14, 2014. The first day of the mission is the 8th and will begin with a meeting at our hotel at 8am. The last day of work is the 14th and we will be done around 5pm.

Plan to arrive on the 7th (or earlier if you want to do some sightseeing or just get a bit more rest before the mission starts), and flights should be scheduled for departure late evening on the 14th or later – again if you want to stay longer, that is no problem, just let us know.

To register, call our office at 206-545-7307 or go to our medical mission page for Dates & Registration.