Aliza's mitzvah- Helping immigrant children

In choosing my Mitzvah Project, I thought about what mattered to me, and how I wanted to help the world. A cause that has always been close to my life is immigration. My father’s parents both immigrated from Iraq to Israel as children because Iraq was no longer safe for Jews. As adults, they both immigrated again from Israel to the United States. My mother’s parents came to the United States from Puerto Rico. All of my grandparents experienced coming to a new country and struggling to adapt to new lives. They had to learn new languages, build new careers, and confront racism and discrimination along the way. But with the support of their families and communities, they were able to pool together basic resources that allowed them to build a new life. Many migrants with young children who are arriving in New York and other parts of America need these same basic resources just to get by from one day to the next. Among the essentials they need are baby care supplies and first aid items, such as diapers, blankets, clothes, and hygiene products (e.g., baby powder, diaper cream, baby Tylenol, etc.). I am raising funds for HIAS, a charity that helps new migrants get those supplies by having volunteers like me raise donations, purchase the supplies, and assemble the packages to give to those in need. I am asking family and friends to please donate to help make sure that those children have the chance to grow up with what they need and experience the amazing opportunities America has to offer.

More information about HIAS INC.: HIAS rescues people whose lives are in danger for being who they are. We protect the most vulnerable refugees, helping them build new lives and reuniting them with their families in safety and freedom. We advocate for the protection of refugees and assure that displaced people are treated with the dignity they deserve. Guided by our Jewish values and history, we bring more than 130 years of expertise to our work with refugees.