somewhere between a handshake and two kisses

Once again we have multiple massive humanitarian emergencies, and once again I am offering a FREE PHOTOSHOOT in the SF Bay Area with donation!

After being broken by the endless photos and videos of the thousands of displaced, wounded and killed children, because of the Israel-Gaza war that started on October 6th, 2023, I am holding a raffle and will donate an hour digital photoshoot with one roll of film ($750 value) to anyone who donates $30 or more to either Anera or Doctor’s without Borders… IF we are able to reach $2,000 by midnight on November 8th.

To qualify for the raffle, please send an email to (paigegreenphoto(at)gmail.com) with a receipt of your donation to either Anera or Doctor’s without Borders by midnight November 8th, 2023.

Charity Watch listed both Anera and Doctor’s Without Borders on their recent list of top rated charities involved in the effort to assist the people of Israel – Palestine during active conflict in the region.

I chose Doctors Without Borders because of the work they are doing in Israel and Gaza, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo:

“Throughout 2022, fighting was concentrated in Rutshuru territory, North Kivu. While most humanitarian organisations left the area, MSF maintained regular activities, supporting health facilities in Rutshuru, Binza, Kibirizi, and Bambo to provide intensive care, surgery, therapeutic nutrition, and treatment for victims of sexual violence. In addition, we set up emergency interventions for displaced communities. Our teams are running mobile clinics and supporting essential care in health centers near displacement sites, as well as building latrines and distributing water and relief items such as hygiene and cooking kits.”

After some time researching, I chose Anera, a nonprofit without political or religious affiliation, because of their success working on the ground with partners in Palestine mobilizing immediate emergency relief. This is from their press release:

November 3, 2023
Today, Anera delivered into Gaza our first external shipment of aid since the start of the war on October 7. The 14-pallet shipment, containing approximately 153,920 treatments, is part of the response to the dire healthcare situation resulting from the scarcity of medicines and medical supplies due to the war.

”Our Gaza team today distributed hot meals with enough food to feed 57,000 displaced people in UN shelters across Khan Younis, and Rafah. The meals are meat-based and fish-based. Gaza staff also distributed 1,500 fresh produce bundles to the middle area, Khan Younis, and Rafah. The bundles contain enough produce, picked directly from farms, to prepare 66,000 meals. We continue to re-clean five shelters a day in Khan Younis.”

According to Anera’s website, here is what your donation will provide:

$30 can provide the Central Blood Bank Society in Gaza with 16 blood bags - blood bags are a vital element in ensuring patient survival during a crisis
$50 can feed 33 adults with a hearty meal of chicken and rice
$80 can provide a hygiene kit to two displaced families - these kits include hand soap, shampoo, toilet paper, laundry detergent, toothpaste, and more
$100 can provide a displaced family with a food parcel that will meet their nutritional needs for 5 days - these food parcels include canned meat, cheese, kidney beans, jam, za'atar, and more
$200 can provide two displaced families with food parcels to meet their nutritional needs

Why $2,000? The average US taxpayer contributed about $2,000 to the military last year, according to a breakdown Lindsay Koshgarian and colleagues prepared for the Institute for Policy Studies in 2022.

My hope is that together we can raise at least $2,000 to help bring some relief, and to attempt to offset our tax dollars spent on war. So if you’d like to win that free photoshoot in the SF Bay Area ($750 value) please:

• Donate a minumum of $30 to Anera or Doctor’s Without Borders by midnight November 8th.
• Email a receipt of your donation to: paigegreen(at)gmail.com
• Share this post and encourage others to donate, so we can reach the $2,000 goal.
• If we meet the $2,000 goal, I will announce the winner on Thursday November 9th.

And if you’d like our government not to send more money for this war, keep calling your representatives. I use this app to help me call my mine: https://5calls.org/

Thank you again for your support. The amount of people suffering because of this conflict is devastating and I feel heartbroken, so I am grateful to connect to others and contribute in the way I know how.