Fridge for Shalom and Shira’s Family

Shalom, 39, and Shira, 38, are doing their best to raise their five children under difficult circumstances. Shalom does not work because he is in treatment for drug addiction. He only has eight years of education, so has always had trouble finding jobs that pay well enough to cover his family’s needs.

Shira is on maternity leave. Their oldest, a 12-year old daughter, is in sixth grade in a regular school. The next three children, ages 9, 5, and 4, are all in special needs programs, as they suffer variously from apoplexy and a number of emotional, physical, and developmental delays.

The family relies on the government’s child support and handicapped support payments. They try to stretch these to cover their monthly expenses, but often have to turn to social services for food and other needs.

Their old refrigerator has been moved 10 times and no longer works reliably. Shalom and Shira cannot afford to buy food and have it spoil, and it is difficult for a family of seven to manage without much food or a place to keep it cool. But they cannot stretch their budget to cover the cost of a new one.