Code Red sirens, warning civilians of incoming rockets from terrorists in Gaza, have been a daily reality for Israelis since the middle of June. When this warning sounds, residents have anywhere from a minute and a half – in more eastern cities like Jerusalem – to 15 seconds – in southern Israel near Gaza – to take cover.

For elderly residents, neither timeframe is enough to move on feeble feet to reinforced rooms that may be in their apartment, down several flights of stairs, or might not even exist in their building. Many elderly barely have time to duck behind a couch or table, paltry protection from incoming rockets.

This past week, an elderly woman died after suffering a heart attack while seeking shelter in Haifa. And an 86-year-old woman, Maria Rachmilov, was seriously injured when her home in Be’er Sheva sustained a direct hit and was totally destroyed.

Maria might not have made it had it not been for Shimon Yunteib, who rescued her from the ruins of her home and took her to a hospital, where she is recovering.

Knowing how vulnerable the elderly population is during this time of crisis, The Fellowship has increased our efforts to help – calling the elderly already receiving assistance from The Fellowship to see if they are okay and if they need any additional help and distributing prepared meals to hundreds of homebound elderly and families.

We cannot extend this additional emergency help without you, our faithful Fellowship friends. Please help us meet the needs of the most vulnerable Israelis while the Holy Land is under attack. You can help us continue these lifesaving efforts – and offer much-needed reassurance that these Israelis in the line of fire are not alone.