AFRP Project Hope

Humanitarian Aid
&
Educational Endeavor

Upcoming Humanitarian Trip to Palestine
April 4th – April 12th, 2009

Medical Mission to Palestine --- A Call for Volunteers. More...

In 2009, Project Hope will be sponsoring a eight-day humanitarian mission to Palestine. This trip will be medical in nature, and we are therefore looking for volunteers in the medical professions (physicians of all specialties, ophthalmologists/optometrists, RNs, dentists, pharmacists etc.) to deliver much-needed medical attention and supplies. Please fill out this card and mail/fax it to the address below or contact us by phone or email to find out how you can help. card and mail/fax it to the address below or contact us by phone or email to find out how you can help.

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What is Project Hope?

The American Federation of Ramallah (AFRP), Palestine’s Project Hope program was established in 1997 by then AFRP President, Salem Mufarreh, as a means of furthering the federation’s four founding principles of charity, culture, education, and society—principles that have guided the AFRP’s coalition of clubs since 1958.

Although the scope of Project Hope’s benevolent activities is both large and varied, the program has special emphases on two very different yet very crucial endeavors: (1) within the AFRP, it has developed and helped facilitate programs that benefit the AFRP's young adult membership; and (2), it has solidified and mobilized volunteers from the professions (i.e., doctors, dentists, business people, lawyers, engineers, etc.) to provide care, support, and advice to the needy in the Palestine.

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And Information Card

Project Hope operates under the umbrella of the AFRP's general Charitable Fund and, like its parent, it is classed a 501(c)(3) charity, meaning that all donations of time, money, medicines and materials to Project Hope are tax deductible. Additional funding comes from the generous support of the AFRP membership, private donations, corporate sponsorship, and grants. The program has an immediate and ongoing need for volunteers, for donations of medicine and other medical supplies, and tax-deductible contributions to fund its humanitarian efforts abroad and its charitable work in the U.S.

OUR PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH & YOUNG ADULTS

The focus of this branch of Project Hope is on the AFRP’s young adult membership (18–30 years old) and youth. Past programs have included summer camps, sports leagues/events, trips abroad, and extended educational studies overseas. The intent is to create a lifelong sense of connection among our young people—not only with each other here in the U.S., but also with other young people around the world. In this way our youth can know Palestine as a living, breathing place rather than a random point on the map, and they can learn the language that is spoken rather than that found in textbooks. In the near future, we plan on expanding educational opportunities abroad to include exchange programs with universities in Jordan, Bethlehem, and elsewhere.

The majority of these programs for young adults are local in nature (i.e., summer camps in California, cruises in Florida, etc.). As such, Project Hope works in a supportive capacity by providing advice, organization, funding, etc. Project Hope welcomes ideas and input from the regional clubs and/or the young adult membership regarding new programs.

If you are a young adult/youth member of the federation who would like to find out more about the programs offered by Project Hope or would like to volunteer, please contact us with your questions or suggestions.

BUSINESS & PROFESSIONS VOLUNTEER PROGRAM

Under this branch of Project Hope, doctors, dentists, businesspeople, etc., are encouraged to share their expertise and, if possible, donate their services back home. It is important to note that volunteers need not be members of the AFRP, and any professional, is welcome to volunteer.

In the past, ProjectIn the past, Project Hope has teamed up with other organizations (e.g., Lion's Club, LensCrafters, etc.) to undertake humanitarian missions in Palestine, and we will be doing so again in April 2009.

In addition to doctors and dentists, we can always use the help of engineers, lawyers, and businesspeople to lecture and mentor peers overseas. Offering your services to help in regions redeveloping after so much instability is invaluable, and your aid can go a long way in shoring up the divide that has begun to separate the U.S. from the rest of the world.

This is by no means easy work, but it is rewarding—and, because Project Hope is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charity, gifts of billable time and services rendered may be deducted in the same manner as a gift of money/goods). Contact the AFRP for more information.