We received the following report this week from CNEWA’s office in Amman, describing how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected some of the people in Jordan — and how CNEWA’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund has brought them urgently needed relief:
Due to dire economic, social, and mental health consequences affecting the people, CNEWA discerned that many families lacked food on their table — those hit especially hard include the day-to-day laborers who lost their jobs, widows and divorced women without breadwinners, families with sickness, and those with physical disabilities.
Therefore, the CNEWA office in Amman, working with the Franciscan Missionaries of Mary, reached out to the most vulnerable families affected badly by COVID-19 and provided them with basic foodstuffs that will last for two months or more. The supplies included rice, beans, lentils, milk, cooking oil and tomato sauce.
Those families were visited by Sister Seraphena, and Sister Josian, who voluntarily took the high risk of traveling from one house to another in different districts and areas in Jordan (including Al-Ashrafieyeh, Jebal Al-Hussein, Marka North, Jebal Amman, Alweibdeh, Hashmi Al-Shamali, Tabarbour, Misdar, Jebal Al-Taj, Zerqa, Jebal Al-Nadeef, Sweileh, Fuheis).
After purchasing the foodstuffs, we filled plastic bags with the appropriate quantity, according to the number of family members; it was well-organized and prepared. The sisters tell us they saw first-hand the surprise and happiness of the families, who initially thought the sisters were making a routine visit. But when the sisters arrived bearing the gift from CNEWA, families were overwhelmed, and immediately raised their prayers and gratitude to God, to the sisters, and to CNEWA.
We received many thankful phone calls during the distribution that lasted for more than two weeks. We all are grateful to the benefactors for their generous and kind hearts that affected the faith of those people who believe that God is there watching and take care of them:
“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” (Mathew 31 – 34)
Visit this page to learn more about CNEWA’s COVID-19 Emergency Fund.