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The Pal Collective

@pal_collective

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Pal Collective is a peer-to-peer solidarity movement dedicated to supporting Gaza families. It began as an idea by @sammyobeid. Join us!

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Join us! Pal Collective is looking for like-minded volunteers with a love for fundraising who can help build a steady stream of support for our families in Gaza. If you've been looking for ways to help, now is the moment.🍛 CRITICAL HUNGER RETURNS TO GAZAWith the world's attention shifting to the regional war between Iran and the U.S. and Israel, a severe tightening of the borders in Gaza has led to a sharp spike in food prices and critical supply shortages. The situation is becoming dire. UNICEF reported prices recently increased by 200%-300% for basic necessities.SOURCE: Jonathan Crickx, UNICEF Spokesman via "The Cradle"🆘 HELP US RESPONDSwipe left and scan the QR code to fill out our Volunteer Application Form.💚 WE'RE BETTER TOGETHER"And they tried to keep us all down...No they never gonna keep us all down."🎶 by @monroviaboy by @pal_collective

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4 months ago

The Pal Collective has been hard at work on our initiatives for almost TWO YEARS but the work is far from done! Learn more about what we do above and many thanks to those who have supported these wonderful families in Gaza.To those of you who are new here, welcome! The Pal Collective is a grassroots movement initiated by Palestinian American comedian @sammyobeid. Our mission is to meet Palestinians with love and solidarity.We connect people from around the world with Palestinian individuals and families in Gaza, fostering friendship and community.Our initiatives prioritize child wellness, access to clean water, food security, shelter, and education.Follow us for updates and to find ways to get involved! by @pal_collective

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8 months ago

July 21 is National Junk Food Day in the USA. It is a day to indulge in your favorite foods, "guilt"-free. But imagine not having the luxury of choosing when to treat yourself to foods high in saturated fats and sugar. Imagine not being able to have access to fresh fruits, vegetables, dairy, and high-quality proteins. That is the reality of our families on the ground, where nutritious foods are expensive and limited, but highly processed non-essentials are more plentiful. Support our families today and help them access adequate nutrition.Video by @farah_obada @seen.palestine#NationalJunkFoodDay #FoodChoice #FoodSovereignty #FoodIsARight #HealthyFoods by @pal_collective

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4 days ago

Tuesday, July 21 is International Zine Library Day and it reminds us of a thing you could try if you support families and are looking for new ways to generate help. A zine is a small, self-published, DIY booklet. It's inexpensive to make and can get a message to the masses quickly. One of our volunteers made a zine for her Pal that told his story and linked to his fundraiser. "I printed them at my public library for 10¢ a copy and left them at my dentist's office, local coffee shops, at restaurants with my tip...They were everywhere. I even got a table at our regional Zine Fest, but had to cancel last minute. I sent copies of each PDF (I made four separate zines) to anyone who contributed a small amount and the first taker lived in Germany." —CGHere we show you how to make one that turns an 8.5" x 11" (~A4 if you live outside the US) piece of paper into a 4-page booklet from one cut and a bit of folding. You can adapt the design to any size paper. No glue, no staples, no stitching.#Zine #DIY #SupportFamilies #Storytelling #TheyLiedToYou by @pal_collective

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6 days ago

Our featured pal this week is Najwa, a widow raising two young boys, Ahmed (14) and Abdullah (13), who is also responsible for her elderly parents and special needs sister. Najwa is chronically ill with an endocrine disorder and is in pain constantly without access to daily medication. She is also mute because her vocal cords were accidentally damaged during a prior surgery. She was scheduled to have them repaired in Egypt, but couldn't due to the escalation in 2023. "I'm not okay, my friend. I'm so, so tired, even my breath is tired,” Najwa told us.Najwa lost her husband shortly after everything started, along with the family’s beloved cats. Ahmed dreams of becoming a surgeon. Abdullah hopes to be a professional footballer. Both will soon enter their 4th year without school and it has had a profound impact on their education. This family of six is living through unimaginable hardship. There is no safe place to shelter. They’ve come close to being hit twice and Najwa's beloved sister and nephew were taken last summer when their tent was destroyed as they slept.Both boys witnessed a neighbor’s tent being hit in the early morning hours and now suffer severe psychological trauma after nearly three years of violence, displacement, illness, hunger, and deep personal loss.Your support provides:Life-saving thyroid medication for NajwaCritical care for her sons’ blood and digestive health issuesDaily vitamins to maintain their strengthAdequate food to keep them nourishedClean drinking water for hydration and hygieneYour assistance will go directly to Najwa and her family. Here's how to find them:👉 VISIT: @pal_collective👀 SEE: Our 🔗🌳✅ SELECT: "Learn about our families..."🔝 FIND: Najwa is at the top🩷 Thank you#Cats #Children#FamilySupport#ChildhoodTrauma#CommunityCare by @pal_collective

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9 days ago

***We made a mistake in the original post, and took it down. Reposting the correction.***Our families on the ground constantly live in fear of being accused of sins that are usually committed by the other side. No one is safe. People are hungry, families have been torn to a million pieces, and hope is hard to come by. It’s our job to show up and be there for our families whenever, wherever, and however we can. Unfortunately, those in power tend to abuse what they have in order to torment the less fortunate. **UPDATE since the unfortunate events took place at the border: A couple of days later, Italian officials confirmed Mahmoud Al Najjar's release and he was cleared of all accusations.@qudsn@middleeastmonitor#Border #CommunityCare #HumanitarianCrisis #WeAreNotNumbers #Justice by @pal_collective

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10 days ago

Hope is not just a feeling. Hope is the collective actions of people who refuse to give up, who persist in envisioning a future, who insist on living radically by trying again when the world says, "give up". Today, you can be the purveyor of hope for our families on the ground; please help if you are able. Do you have a story of hope in G.za? Please tell us below.#InternationalDayOfHope #HopeIsResistanceHope looks like the Phoenix Library rising from rubble. Omar Hamad and Ibrahim Almasri built the library by gathering books from destroyed mosques, schools, libraries, universities and other educational spaces. With dedication and determination, they persisted in moving books through 12 displacements, ultimately preserving over 5,500 books. The library opened on April 21, 2026, and is now a place beauty, respite, and cultural preservation. Video by @phoenix_library1 @omar.hamad7 @iamibrahim21Hope looks like joy, celebration, and union despite so much loss and separation. On June 28, 2026, the Ghawth Charity Foundation held a mass wedding for 150 couples in the Jabalia refugee camp. It was the third mass wedding of the year. These weddings feature traditional song, dance, customs and attire, and draw large, celebratory crowds determined to reclaim moments of happiness. Charities help young people overcome the immense financial and logistical hardships of starting a family amidst devastation.Video by @anadoluagencyHope looks like water. Despite near-complete destruction of infrastructure, Ele Elna Elak has built a second well using scant resources, equipment and building materials. The organization is volunteer-driven and has provided essential aid to families, including clean water, food, basic hygiene supplies, and assistance with shelters since 2018. Ele Elna Elak means "What we own, you own," and symbolizes the initiative's commitment to social solidarity and the importance of sharing resources to uplift community.Video by @ele_elna_elak by @pal_collective

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13 days ago

Our featured pals this week are three orphans. On July 4, 2025, a missile struck their family’s tent, taking the lives of their mother Amani and brother Hamza. Baraa (15), Tulin (9), and Talin (3) survived. Their father disappeared early in the conflict and is presumed gone. All three kids are full of painful shrapnel which also causes infections."I watched my mother and brother pass in front of me and I couldn't do anything,” says Baraa.Overwhelmed and traumatized, Baraa had just turned 14 when he assumed total responsibility for himself and his sisters. Without any income, he relies entirely on generosity of strangers around the world, many of whom are parents with children his own age who cannot fathom their own son or daughter with adult responsibilities in general, much less in an active conflict zone. "The day my mother and brother were taken from us was one of the hardest and most nightmare-inducing days of my life that I haven't woken up from yet."Baraa uses the income to feed and supply his family with medicine, diapers, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, surgery to remove shrapnel when possible, and various daily essentials. Their tent and nearly all of their belongings were destroyed in the 2025 fall and winter flooding, and they had to start over."I miss my mother’s tenderness and care for me and my siblings. My mother and brother left and never returned, and I am left alone now," Baraa texted. "There is no food, no drink, no affection, and no life without them. My sisters and I suffer, but we thank God for everything. I hope to grow up and be a support to my sisters."Talin was still nursing when tragedy struck. She’s spent the past year wandering in search of her mother. Tulin doesn't understand why her mother won't come home, and Baraa tries to make his sisters laugh. Then, once his sisters fall asleep, he’s consumed with worry about their future.Your assistance will go directly to Baraa, Tulin, and Talin. Here's how to find them:👉 VISIT: @pal_collective👀 SEE: Our 🔗🌳✅ SELECT: "Learn about our families..."🔝 FIND: Baraa is at the top🩷 Thank you#Orphans#Children#FamilySupport#ChildhoodTrauma#CommunityCare by @pal_collective

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16 days ago

Our Pal Collective families on the ground are still dealing with unimaginable circumstances day by day. Another summer has come, water sources are contaminated, and the sea is dangerous to swim in. Any source of joy is consistently stolen from them by the “israeli” government. We can only provide updates in numbers, but imagine how each of those numbers are pointing to people who have lost their entire family, or are missed by all of their loved ones. Children growing up in a world where their only reality is loss, hunger, chickenpox, and sleepless nights should never happen. There is zero confidence that the people who are taking care of them today will still be there tomorrow. There is no safety in familiar places, in classroms, and no rest during the night. Resources: @ochaopt#WeAreNotNumbers #SanitationCrisis #ChildSafety #HumanitarianCrisis #StayInformed by @pal_collective

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18 days ago

A few weeks ago we made a post about the current state of ecocide in West Asia. The truth is that this environmental impact didn't arise in the past three years; it's a systematic tool of colonization and dispossession that our families on the ground have had to contend with their whole lives. Read about how the environment has been manipulated and abused over the past 100 years and how our families were trying to survive off the land prior to October 2023. Swipe to see the timeline. Share so others are aware of the ecocide that has been happening since the early 1900s.@transnationalinstitute@theimeu#Environment#Biodiversity#Justice#EarthFocus#Ecocide by @pal_collective

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20 days ago

Our featured pal this week is Haitham and his family. They’re in dire need of tents or else they'll be forced to sleep in the streets. It is essential that we find generous donors who can help quickly. In his own words:“Before the war, I was pursuing my master’s degree in Computer Science while working hard to build a stable future for myself and my family.Like many others, our lives changed completely since October 2023. My family and I have been displaced multiple times in search of safety. We lost stability, security, and the ability to live a normal life.I also lost my source of income, and my education was interrupted before I could complete my master’s degree.Now, after more than two years and seven months, I am still trapped in the same difficult situation, without work, without the basic necessities of life, and unable to continue my education or rebuild a stable future.Today, we are struggling to meet even the most basic daily needs under these extremely difficult conditions.”Haitham just wants to live in peace with his family. Your assistance will go directly to the family for tents, food, and basics necessities. Here’s how to find him:👉 VISIT: @pal_collective👀 SEE: Our 🔗🌳✅ SELECT: "Learn about our families..."🔝 FIND: Haitham is at the top🩷 Thank you#ComputerScience#MastersDegree#FamilySupport#Tent#CommunityCare by @pal_collective

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23 days ago

This week we're featuring our dear Rahaf and the Al Assar family. Rahaf and her husband live in a tent with their seven children, one of whom is a newborn. They're in dire need after losing their successful relief initiative, and having to start another one from scratch.The scale of destruction is so great that our photos can't even capture it properly, with a sea of tents taking up every bit of viable space. It's overwhelming and what gets lost in the miles of rubble and tents is the human suffering we can't see: long nights of fear, the tear-stained faces, and our families on the ground fighting illness and hunger.Rahaf said that kindness from strangers makes her feel stronger because it reminds her that goodness still exists. She doesn't want to be seen as a number or let her family be lost in the enormity of it all.Rahaf just wants to live in peace and that we hear her voice. And you can help—your assistance will go directly to our family for food and basics. Here’s how to find them:👉 VISIT: @pal_collective👀 SEE: Our 🔗🌳✅ SELECT: "Learn about our families..."🔝 FIND: Rahaf and her family is at the top🩷 Thank you#NotANumber#Shelter#FamilySupport#Children#CommunityCare by @pal_collective

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a month ago