New Outreach Center Opens in Karmiel

March 31, 2008

The Bridges for Peace family of staff and volunteers in Israel, joined by members of the International Board of Directors, recently gathered in Karmiel for a time of prayer and celebration as we dedicated our new food distribution center in northern Israel. The new center will serve a dual function as a storehouse for supplies in case of war or other unforeseen emergencies, as well as a food bank serving the poor and needy of Karmiel and other northern communities.

Mike Egleton, manager of the Karmiel Center, said that the 1,250 square meter (13,455 square feet) warehouse is currently stocked with 311 tons [280 metric tons] of food, “enough to continue for six to seven months at current distribution rates if the country were totally shut down” due to war or some other emergency. He also said that the food bank side of the Karmiel Center will initially be working with around 16 different cities and organizations in northern Israel to help feed around 5,000 people per month, thanks in part to a new delivery truck.

The idea for a food distribution center in the north came about during the Second Lebanon War in the summer of 2006. “We were inundated with requests for assistance when the missiles were falling in 2006,” said Bridges for Peace CEO Rebecca Brimmer, “and our Jerusalem center wasn’t big enough to respond quickly enough to the need.” After the war ended and after much prayer and listening to God, she said that the decision was made to open a center in the north which would become “an extension of our operations [in Jerusalem] and enable us to buy and store more food.”

Not Just About Food

But the new Karmiel Center isn’t only about food, but as with everything that Bridges for Peace does, it’s about showing God’s love and mercy and building relationships between Christians and Jews. “I see this as another step in helping to change the way Israelis feel about Christians,” Becky said, “to change the negative reality [that] more than 17 centuries of anti-Semitism has caused.” Mike echoed this sentiment saying, “It has to be [about] more than just food; we have a hope to touch peoples’ lives.” The reception from the mayor and the community in Karmiel has been very warm and welcoming.

Mike did say that the new center didn’t just open overnight and without challenges, but that their trust and faith in God was greater than any issues about phone lines, Internet, or power. Mike and his three coworkers―Dee Miller, Daniel Kirchhevel, and Kevin Rous―have put in some long hours and hard work in order to open the center. For example, before a single shelf was stocked with food, the center needed 15 buckets of paint, each bucket holding 18 liters (4.75 gallons). On another occasion, 78 tons [70 metric tons] of food were delivered to the center in one day, only to be followed by 62 tons [55 metric tons] the following day! Now that the center is open for business, Mike and his team can get down to the real task at hand, helping those in need. Although the center just opened, Bridges for Peace leadership sees a busy future for this new location, which will undoubtedly require more staff.

Thank you to all who donated to make the new center a reality! The equipment, vehicles, and renovations are all paid for!With such a large facility, we now have the capability to expand our operations to meet many more needs throughout Israel. We are praying that God will expand our food budget and multiply the effectiveness of Bridges for Peace in Israel.

The City of Karmiel

• Founded in 1964
• Lies in the Beit Hakerem Valley, separating the upper and lower regions of the Galilee. Is located 10 miles (15 km) from Lebanon, 21 miles (34 km) from Tiberias, 19 miles (30 km) from Tzfat and 28 miles (45 km) from Haifa. It is 820 feet (250 meters) above sea level.
• A planned, modern city with a population of approximately 50,000 residents or 12,000 households. The average age of its residents is 39.
• Their educational system is among the best in the country and is home of the ORT Braude College of Engineering.
• Its industry includes electronics, metal work, computers, plastics, wood, and building.
• It has 70 parks in the city, with grassy areas, boulevards, sports equipment and playgrounds.
• It is home to a roomy amphitheater with a capacity of 25,000 and serves as host to events such as the Dance Festival and concerts.
• It has a network of community centers, which cover most cultural activities. They include athletic tracks, gymnasiums, soccer stadium, tennis and basketball courts, swimming pool, and a country club with high quality facilities.
• Karmiel has recently received the ISO 12000 International Certification for Environmental Safety.
• It is a good city to work and live in and is fulfilling one of the important goals of Zionism—the settlement of Galilee.
• The beautiful, quiet and pleasant city was the target of over 200 rockets and missiles that struck approximately 800 homes during the Second Lebanon War in 2006—15 have been declared too dangerous to reside in. However, there is and was an angel over Karmiel, as no one was killed during the attacks.
• We were caring for 35 public shelters and rapidly increased to 600 shelters during the war and were able to obtain a contribution to provide a daily hot meal for the city’s elderly. We distributed 3,100 hot meals to the elderly and needy families.

By Will King, Correspondent, BFP Israel Mosaic Radio

Photo Credit: Photo by Will King