I am running raffles for a series of artwork I am creating to benefit families from Gaza. All families have been vetted through Operation Olive Branch, a “volunteer-led grassroots collective working to amplify Palestinian voices and support their needs.” You can find the list of all families needing support at their organizations public spreadsheet. You can also find out more about the organization and how to support the cooperative on their link tree.
Week 1, May 22: Urgent Care Needed for Orouq Family
For this first week of raffles supporting Gazan Families we will be supporting Haya Orouq’s family in evacuating and getting emergency treatment for her mother, who is suffering from Kidney Failure and Lupus. Haya’s first TikTok account was removed (TikTok has been cracking down on Gazan accounts asking for help,) but you can find her backup TikTok account for updates.
They are so, so close to reaching their goal. They have raised enough to cover their (family of 5) immigration to Belgium. But the care her mother needs is not accessible in Gaza. The sooner they can get out, the more likely they can save her mom’s life.
It is surreal going through a spreadsheet of hundreds of families that need help after five months of bombings and displacement. There are so many people that need help, and beyond just randomly picking a number it’s hard to really decide who to help and when. I ultimately choose Haya’s family for this first raffle because of her mother’s battle with Lupus. The past six years I have seen countless Rheumatologists to try to figure out what it happening with me physically. I had a Lupus diagnosis for several years, though we’re unsure that’s really the issue as I haven’t responded to treatment. Rheumatology is such a difficult field to navigate. The idea of being ill and going through what the Orouq family has is frankly horrifying to me.
Obviously every single family on that list deserves help. I will do as many as I can, but please look at the Operation Olive Branch spreadsheet yourself if you have means to support them. If not monetarily, please share, repost, and talk with people you know about Operation Olive Branch on TikTok and how we can help.
About the Artwork
This first piece was inspired by HaBZ song, “War on the Brain,” created in December 2023. It’s references to The Cranberries “Zombie” during The Troubles in Ireland really hit me. The misinformation and lack of real information is incredible as we near six months of bombings and displacement. And yet so many of us refuse to see the truth of what is happening, either because we take the propaganda at face value, or because we’d rather remain ignorant.
We are living in a world where most of us deal with near constant compassion fatigue. When that happens, don’t forget the Parable of the Choir: “a choir can sing a beautiful note impossibly long because singers can individually drop out to breathe as necessary and the note goes on.” Take a breath when you need to. But we need to come back over and over, because the powers that be are relying on us becoming exhausted.
How to Enter the Raffle
For every $5 you donate to Haya’s family at their GoFundMe, you will get one ‘ticket’ into the raffle. So $5 is one, $10 is two, $15, is three, etc.
In order for your submission to be accepted, you must verify your donation. You have a couple of options:
- Send a screenshot of your receipt (with address and payment info blocked out if it’s included) to my email at rue.sparks.writes@gmail.com
- If the name you donate under matches your username, add a comment or DM me on my Instagram or TikTok accounts with your donation information and I will verify from the GoFundMe page
I will respond to let you know that your tickets have been added. If you do not hear from me within 24 hours, you can send it in again to make sure it wasn’t lost in the shuffle.
How to Find Out if You’ve Won
One week after I’ve posted the original art, I will be drawing a name that evening. For example, if I post it on a Wednesday, no matter what time of day I post it I will draw the name the following Wednesday at 8pm ET. I will put up a video giving the name of who won, and contacting you either through email (if provided) or through your social account.
How Names are Drawn
Each ‘ticket’ will be added to a spreadsheet. If you donate $5, you get one line, $10 two lines, $15 three lines etc. I will randomly draw a number using Goggle’s Number Generator based off how many lines exist in that weeks spreadsheet. Whichever person that number coordinates with will be the winner.
How Long Will You be Doing Raffles
As long as possible. At minimum I should be able to for three weeks. I am moving from Indiana to Michigan sometime in June, so it’s possible I may have to end them at that point. If we get enough momentum going, I may continue once I’ve settled enough and have my supplies and space to make more art. I will update as things evolve.