#GazaSoupKitchen Update

March 15, 2026 by #HaniAlmadhoun, Organizer

"Friends, supporters, allies —

Tonight is Laylat al-Qadr, the Night of Power, and I wanted to share a personal update from the last ten days here at the Gaza Soup Kitchen. I hope you’ll read this as a conversation, because that’s what this work is: real people, real families, real moments, not just numbers or logistics.

A lot of people aren’t paying close attention to #Gaza right now, and that’s understandable. People here don’t want to always be in the news. But they also don’t want to suffer in silence.

Silence, right now, looks like this: in March alone, food prices in Gaza rose by at least 37%, and they continue to climb. A small piece of clothing for a child for Eid can cost $60, when the same item might sell for $20 elsewhere. Aid has slowed, deliveries cut to a fraction of what they were — 80 trucks a day instead of 250–300. Prices spike, families struggle, and every day is harder than the last.

For our team, this means every meal costs more. Every food parcel is more expensive. But we refuse to compromise. The meals we serve in hospitals continue to include animal protein because families here have already been forced into mostly vegetarian diets for far too long. Nutrition, dignity, and care matter — even if it’s harder or more expensive to provide.

Running the kitchen is exhausting. Driving across Gaza to coordinate deliveries. Writing updates and responding to emails. Balancing logistics with compassion. There’s no real gain here, no profit, no easy path. The only reason we keep showing up is because it is needed, because the people we serve are counting on us, and because the smiles, the laughter, the moments of joy — even amid hardship — are worth everything.

During Ramadan, one of the things we’ve done is host communal iftars. Elderly folks gather, laugh, tease each other, sometimes even play small games. For a few hours, they feel lighter, younger, alive in a way that the day-to-day challenges can’t take away.

Today, we hosted a special program for children who are orphaned or separated from their parents. We brought live characters to dance and sing with them, set up face painting, served food — and yes, even cotton candy. These little touches are not easy, not cheap, but they bring joy and dignity in a situation that is otherwise incredibly difficult.

Everything we do is family-first. Mothers, sisters, daughters, brothers cook as they would for their own families. Portions go home just like they would in a family kitchen. We never compromise on quality, because the people we serve deserve the care we would want for our own families. Our name is on this work because it is personal, not commercial.

Looking ahead, we are planning a few changes to make our work even more effective. We’ll slightly reduce the size of some food parcels to expand the number of kitchens we operate. We’ll expand our hospital meal programs — right now we serve two hospitals, and after Ramadan we hope to serve at least three. Food parcels are important, but hot meals reach the families and children most in need, where hunger is visible, urgent, and unavoidable.

During Ramadan, we delivered around 35,000 food parcels — a massive effort — but still only about 10% of Gaza’s population. That’s a small fraction of the need. So we focus on where every dollar is spent wisely: hot kitchens, hospital meals, clean water deliveries, and programs that bring dignity and care.

This Ramadan, there is also something deeply meaningful that fills us with pride and hope. We’ve seen mosques raising funds for the Gaza Soup Kitchen, collectives of rabbis from Ceasefire, and even a few churches around the country coming together to support families in Gaza. Moments like these remind us of the good in humanity, of the ways people reach across divides to care for others. It’s a badge of honor to witness it — and a reminder that, even in the hardest times, kindness persists.

This work is exhausting, yes. It can make you cry. It can make you smile in the same moment. But it is also deeply human. The smiles on children’s faces. The laughter of elders at iftar. Families receiving a parcel that truly sustains them. These moments remind us why we keep showing up, day after day, even when it’s hard.

And none of this would be possible without you — your trust, your generosity, your willingness to stand with Gaza when the world’s attention shifts elsewhere. Every meal, every parcel, every program is made possible by your support. You make it possible for us to keep showing up for people who need it most.

From all of us here, with deep gratitude and respect for the resilience of the communities we serve: thank you. Thank you for being part of this family. Thank you for helping us hold space for dignity, care, and humanity in the hardest of circumstances.

With gratitude and heart,
Hani and the Board of the Gaza Soup Kitchen"

To donate:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Hot-meals-in-gaza-daily

#NorthGaza #GazaAid #GazaFundraisers #FreePalestine #Fundraisers #FoodIsLife #WaterIsLife #GoFundMe #BeitLahiya #BaitLahiya #KhanYounes #Palestine #Genocide #Starvation #IsraeliWarCrimes #NorthernGaza
Remember #ChefMahmoud
#HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #IsraeliWarCrimes #BibiIsAWarCriminal

Huge thanks to everyone in the USA, Canada, Europe & worldwide. Your donations and support keep my family going in North Gaza. 💚

While things are very difficult, your solidarity gives us hope. Please keep sharing my story and supporting my campaign to keep my family safe. Every bit helps! 🥹🍉🕊️

Link: https://chuffed.org/project/mohshbairgaza

#Gaza #SupportGaza #NorthGaza #donations

RE: https://mastodon.social/@islamjamal/116092635221620841

I'm sorry for reposting this. My father, who suffers from diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure, is getting worse and still desperately needs his medication, and we need $120. Please help if you can.❤️…https://chuffed.org/project/154105-islam-and-family-in-gaza-rebuilding-hope-after-war
#Gaza #NorthGaza #MutualAid #Palestine #gaza_help #freepalestine #genocide #gazaverified #gazagenocide

#GazaSoupKitchen Update

February 9, 2026 by #HaniAlmadhoun, Organizer

"Dear friends and allies,

There is a lot I want to share with you, and as always, I want you to see clearly what your support is making possible on the ground.

Last week we purchased 4,500 kilos of apples to include in food parcels for registered families. Shortly after our purchase, the market price increased by nearly 30 percent. #Gaza’s markets are extremely sensitive right now — supplies remain limited, and when large humanitarian programs buy in bulk, the impact can be felt quickly. We saw something similar six weeks ago when we purchased thousands of cartons of eggs and again when we prepared large meal kits in December. Because of this, we try to move carefully and responsibly so that our purchases do not unintentionally make food harder for others in the community to afford. Your support allows us the flexibility to make these thoughtful decisions rather than rushing distributions when prices spike.

#Ramadan is approaching, and we are preparing to register 50,000 families for at least one round of Ramadan food parcels. Each parcel costs about $25 and includes essential staples, with olive oil currently being the most expensive item. At the same time, this week we are completing another distribution for 4,000 patients who were registered last week. By the end of tomorrow, each of them will have received their parcel — including fresh apples that many families have not been able to afford for months.

Recently, we also carried out several special distributions. One was dedicated to amputees, where we provided solar-powered lighting systems so families can safely move inside their tents at night. Another focused on the elderly: about 1,500 seniors received kitchen water sets that allow them to prepare meals more easily during Ramadan. These smaller, targeted interventions are often the ones families remember most, because they directly respond to what people themselves request.

Even when operations appear 'quiet,' our teams are working every single day. We hand-deliver aid to roughly 500 families daily — baby formula, diapers, food parcels, or winter clothing — depending on what is most urgently needed. Across 14 kitchen locations, meals continue to be prepared and served, including meals delivered directly to hospitals. And every morning, ten water trucks travel from #KhanYounes to #BeitLahia, delivering clean drinking water. When we say 'we deliver water,' it means drivers starting before sunrise, filling trucks, traveling long distances through damaged roads, and reaching neighborhoods where families line up with containers because that delivery may be their only safe water that day.

Our medical point in the north serves about 70 patients daily, and most leave with free prescription refills made possible by you. We now also operate two learning centers — one in #NorthGaza serving orphaned children, currently with 20 students and expanding to 40 after Ramadan, and another in Khan Younes serving displaced children who continue their education despite extremely difficult conditions. These programs may seem small, but they create stability for children who have lost nearly everything.

As our work grows, we continue improving operations, training staff, and sometimes making difficult adjustments so that every donated dollar reaches as many people as possible. We also occasionally encounter a few anonymous online claims or misinformation, which is common in humanitarian work today, but we remain focused on transparency and on letting the results of the work speak for themselves.

Ramadan and equally Lent are a season of generosity, reflection, and shared responsibility. If our work continues to earn your trust, one of the most meaningful ways you can help is simply by sharing our story, telling others what you see happening through these updates, and keeping Gaza’s families in your conversations and your giving. Many supporters tell us they first learned about the Gaza Soup Kitchen because someone they trusted mentioned it — your voice carries real impact.

Keep in mind we now have three different aid distribution sites in Khan Younes, #AlZawaydah and #GazaCity. And tomorrow we are in #Rafah as we promised the community there to be physically among them at least once a month. We are proud of what you will read next.

Ninety-nine percent of donations go directly to Gaza programs. I do not take a salary from the Gaza Soup Kitchen, and many of our volunteers give extraordinary hours because they believe in what this community is building together. You are not just donors; you are partners in every meal served, every water delivery completed, and every family reached.

With gratitude and humility,
Hani

P.S. In recent days we spoke live on the Dean Obeidallah Show on SiriusXM, with BBC, and at several community gatherings in the United States. During Ramadan I expect to be in Ann Arbor, Salt Lake City, San Diego, and possibly Dallas. If your community would like to host us, please let us know — we would be honored to meet you."

To donate:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Hot-meals-in-gaza-daily

#NorthGaza #GazaAid #GazaFundraisers #FreePalestine #Fundraisers #FoodIsLife #WaterIsLife #GoFundMe #BeitLahiya #BaitLahiya #KhanYounes #Palestine #Genocide #Starvation #IsraeliWarCrimes #NorthernGaza
Remember #ChefMahmoud
#HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #IsraeliWarCrimes #BibiIsAWarCriminal

My children are still waiting for your generosity and kindness to help them pay their school fees. They only need $70.📚✏️

Please support them; they've missed out enough over the past two years. They grew up without an education, and now they're at a crucial stage in developing their reading and writing skills. Your support is their only hope. ✏️💔💔
https://chuffed.org/project/154249-israas-hope-a-familys-fight-to-rebuild-after-war

#Gaza #NorthGaza #MutualAid #Palestine #gaza_help

RE: https://mastodon.social/@israajamal/115951653954053011

Just $80
is all that separates my children from continuing their education.

A small amount for some, but it's our entire future.

Please help us in any way you can. 🌱
https://chuffed.org/project/154249-israas-hope-a-familys-fight-to-rebuild-after-war

#Gaza #NorthGaza #MutualAid #Palestine #gaza_help

#GazaSoupKitchen Update

January 8, 2026 by #HaniAlmadhoun, Organizer

"Dear friends, allies, and partners in good,

In the last two days of 2025, the #Gaza Soup Kitchen opened its 14th location. Since then, it has been running strong. And yet, every time I think about expanding kitchens in Gaza, I don’t feel a sense of achievement. It feels like a setback for humanity.

Every meal we serve matters—but the growth of these kitchens is a painful measure of how far things have fallen. No amount of coordination, care, or sacrifice can change the truth: this is emergency survival, not dignity.

I keep coming back to the real goal we’ve always had: not to add kitchens, but to close them. Success, to me, looks like people back in their homes, cooking for their children, rather than standing in line for a meal.

What worries me most is the next generation. Children growing up in aid lines instead of classrooms, learning to ration far too early. I think of the Nakba generation, who built lives and institutions out of ruins. That same #Palestinian spirit is here—but under enormous strain. Resilience isn’t endless, and it shouldn’t be romanticized. People were never meant to live like this.

And yet, that spirit persists—in neighbors sharing crumbs, teachers refusing to stop teaching, people showing up for each other when almost nothing remains. That matters. I feel it deeply.

But care alone is not enough. Soup kitchens are a bridge, not a future. The true measure of progress isn’t how well we manage hunger, but how soon we make it unnecessary.

Our Impact Today

We are serving communities across the #GazaStrip—from #KhanYounes in the south to #BeitLahia in the north. Our kitchens serve real, edible meals—not factory food lacking taste or flavor.

We now scale to serve up to 15,000 families per week.

This week, distributions included winter clothing, baby milk and diapers, food parcels, and hygiene and cleaning supplies.

Our most effective team is in #GazaCity.

The middle-area team in #DeirElBalah is facing space challenges and newer staff, but they are accelerating their distributions and solving logistical issues.

In addition to serving families who register online:

30% of our work happens outside the registration system, with teams dispatched daily to reach disconnected communities.

Water trucks continue to roll daily—about ten per day.

The medical point in Mashrou’ Beit Lahia sees 60–80 patients a day.

The classroom in Khan Younes is teaching 30 children daily, and we are preparing to launch an orphan learning center in Gaza City within two weeks.

Looking Forward

Ramadan is just weeks away, and we’re concerned that #Israel may limit the number of trucks again, as announced yesterday. This would affect #FoodAccess and increase costs—but for now, we are holding off from buying everything in the market prematurely.

What helps us most is sharing our videos, stories, and updates—engaging, commenting, and spreading awareness. If you can, consider becoming a monthly donor.

To give context:

Our daily operational costs have risen from $15,000/day to $30,000/day.

This page used to average $5,000/day in donations, now it’s under $2,000/day.

I hate asking for money, but as our team’s response grows, donations are not keeping pace. Your support is critical, and I hope you can help us think creatively about the future.

Thank you for being here. For every crumb shared, every child fed, and every story told, your partnership matters.

With deep gratitude,
Hani
Gaza Soup Kitchen

P. S. In other news, Israel hit two schools today where we run kitchens, there has been injuries and at least one fatality which is tragic, our staff are unharmed as they had just washed up and left for the day."

Donate:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/Hot-meals-in-gaza-daily

#NorthGaza #GazaAid #GazaFundraisers #FreePalestine #Fundraisers #FoodIsLife #WaterIsLife #GoFundMe #BeitLahiya #BaitLahiya #KhanYounes #Palestine #Genocide #Starvation #IsraeliWarCrimes #NorthernGaza
Remember #ChefMahmoud
#HumanRightsAreNeverWrong #IsraeliWarCrimes #BibiIsAWarCriminal