BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – Here in South Florida, there are a lot of personal connections to what is going on in Israel right now and some are looking for ways to help however they can.
“I remember waking up at like 6:30 in the morning to a million messages from my best friends, my family -- ‘When are you going to wake up? You have to see what’s going on here,’” Shir Ibgui, who is raising money for medical kits, said.
When she saw the violence breaking out in Israel, Ibgui knew she had to do something.
“I was shocked -- it was a full-on invasion,” she said.
Ibgui grew up in South Florida, but spent the last seven years living in Tel Aviv before moving back to Broward County in August.
Seeing the chaos on social media, she decided to help by raising money for medical kits to be sent to Magen David Adom, Israel’s version of the Red Cross, which provides paramedic and blood supply support during national emergencies and disasters.
“There are 10,000 first responders from Magen David Adom that are actively working, 16,000 units of blood that have been donated in the past few days in Israel, as well, and thousands of victims that have been treated,” Ibgui said.
Her fundraiser on Instagram took off quickly, raising nearly $100,000 in just a matter of days.
And she says she’s been touched by how many people have shown support.
“Our community is amazing,” she said. “It’s like the only thing that came to my head. I was like, ‘People are standing together -- we are standing up against terrorism, we are doing what’s best and we’re trying to help.’”
The fundraiser is going so well, Ibgui also started working to get tactical gear to soldiers who are low on supplies.
If you’re interested in donating to either cause, click here.