• About Our Fundraiser

    — Sarah Thompson “The Story Of Bilal Al-Jalab has opened my eyes to the realities faced by families in Gaza. Every story shared is a reminder of our shared humanity.” Together, we can amplify the voices of those affected by conflict in Gaza. I created this site for my dear friend, Bilal, who is a refugee of war and stuck in Gaza. Our purpose is to raise awareness about the innocent civilians in Palestine and their daily struggles, as well as continue to promote and raise funds for Bilal's GoFundMe campaign, which is his family's only source of income.

    My name is Erin and I am a 33 year old mom to a wonderful daughter. I do not subscribe to any political party, left or right, and my motives are strictly as a mother who loves all children. Additionally, I lost a 6 year old family member due to a mass shooting many years ago and when these images of children in Gaza started coming out and making their way into my newsfeed shortly after 10/7, I couldn't help but think of that family member and it struck me in a way that made me want to take action. I have always been aware of the issues in Palestine because I grew up with a Palestinian girl who was one of my best childhood friends. I always remembered her talking about how wonderful her homeland was, but also saying that she couldn't ever move back there because it was too dangerous. I keep in touch with this girl to this day, because she helped shape a lot of my pro-Palestine beliefs as a child.

    Through some mutual Pro-Palestinian friends, I connected with Bilal first on instagram and asked him how I could help. He needed help getting a GoFundMe campaign started, and he asked me if I knew how to make one. I was hesitant because I had never run a fundraiser on a platform like this before, but I agreed to try. During this process, GoFundMe reached out to me and told me that since my fund is supposed to be for somebody from the Middle East, they needed to do an audit of certain documentation and make sure that we were being compliant with their policies. I had never heard of this before, but Bilal was able to produce valid paperwork for himself and a few of his family members - IDs, birth certificates, etc. Finally, after a very long and frustrating audit, our GoFundMe was officially approved. Around this time, Bilal started video calling me. The first time, I was very emotional. I couldn't believe that he was real and this was him - in Gaza. We started video calling on a regular basis. We became friends. Sometimes on video call, he'd say to me "stay up with me and listen to the bombs" because he didn't want to be alone and couldn't sleep. It was moments like that that really broke my heart. Getting to know Bilal and his family has been so impactful on me. They tell me that they pray for me when they are the ones who are suffering. What started with a simple message has become a successful fundraiser, and a lifelong friendship.

    — Michael Chen “I was moved by Bilal's courage and determination. Supporting his family is a small step towards making a big difference.” Together, we can amplify the voices of those affected by conflict in Gaza. I created this site for my dear friend, Bilal, who is a refugee of war and stuck in Gaza. Our purpose is to raise awareness about the innocent civilians in Palestine and their daily struggles, as well as continue to promote and raise funds for Bilal's GoFundMe campaign, which is his family's only source of income.

    Over the last two years, we have raised over $11,000 for this family. It may not seem like much, but it has been their only income since the start of the war. I have created savebilal.org in hopes of reaching more donors by selling handmade watermelon and Palestine themed items in our shop as well as continue to promote Bilal's GoFundMe.

    — Emily Rivera “This initiative is a powerful reminder that each contribution matters. Together, we can help families like Bilal's find hope.” Together, we can amplify the voices of those affected by conflict in Gaza. I created this site for my dear friend, Bilal, who is a refugee of war and stuck in Gaza. Our purpose is to raise awareness about the innocent civilians in Palestine and their daily struggles, as well as continue to promote and raise funds for Bilal's GoFundMe campaign, which is his family's only source of income.

    If you have any questions, please contact me using the contact us page. Please visit our shop as all proceeds go directly to Bilal, or you can go to his GoFundMe and make a donation that way. Click the red "donate directly to Bilal & His Family" button at the top of the page to access the GFM campaign.

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