This Purim, thanks to the generous support of our community, all South African and Australian Lone Soldiers in active duty received a meal voucher to use at their convenience. Delivering Mishloach Manot was not possible this year as most of our soldiers were unavailable but they were certainly not forgotten. The overwhelming response from you, our community, allowed us to double the value of each gift card. In a recent conversation with a Lone Soldier, we understood that meal vouchers were desperately needed as they often come home to an empty fridge after an extended time away, and with no family to cook for them, meal vouchers allows them to order food as and when they need.
In case anyone doubted how remarkable our soldiers are, we received a message from one of our Lone Soldiers who decided to share his gift with a friend and fellow soldier: “Thank you very much for the Wolt voucher. Please extend my thanks to everyone from Telfed. I had a great meal with a friend who’s been serving in Gaza and came home for a few days.”
In preparation for Pesach, all South African and Australian Lone Soldiers in active service received a gift card to use for Pesach shopping.
If you know of any soldiers looking for a host for Seder, they should be in touch with Daniela directly by WhatsApp (0586608048).
Scholarship recipients who were directly affected by the war, including those who’ve been in miluim, received a bonus towards their education needs. We know it was incredibly difficult to start the academic year in these difficult circumstances, and that soldiers have been doing their best to keep up with their studies remotely while on base or in the field, and we want them to know that as a community, we are immensely grateful for all they have done, and continue to do, for us as a nation.
We also remind our soldiers that if they are in need of any emotional support, they should be in touch with our Social Worker, Ariela ([email protected]). We cannot ignore the impact this war has had on their mental health and we encourage them to equip themselves with the tools to deal with the difficulties they have experienced.
Telfed has received a number of requests for food and non-military equipment for soldiers and their units. Over the past two weeks, we have purchased food supplies, head torches, Leathermans and first aid equipment for units in the North and South.
We extend a heartfelt thank you to all those who continue to take care of our soldiers. The outpouring of love and support is remarkable!