Dear Love for Syria family,
From the time our first team visited Jordan in 2013 up to now, twelve years later, we have been humbled by the regular encouragement and financial support from so many of you.
Your donations have been invested into the lives of Syrian women forced to live as refugees in Jordan, women who were seeking to generate a bit of income to provide for their children. A group of women began handcrafting knitwear; we began selling it and sharing their stories. I know so many of you have been inspired by their journey, as I have.
Over the twelve years, we have seen the craft of the 60 women we support improve dramatically. We have sold their knitwear at countless events, from craft fairs and churches to the American Legion and Girl Scouts. Multiple giving campaigns have been launched, gifting knitwear to children in need, from Syrian children in Jordan to children in the foster care system in rural Kentucky. Countless lives have been affected for the good from these ladies.
Our prayer has always been for the women to be able to return to Syria and this month, that's becoming a reality. The Assad regime has fallen, sanctions are being lifted, and with the conclusion of the school year this month, many of the ladies are going home.
With that, we believe the aim of Love for Syria's website and 501c3 status has been reached; the chapter has reached its natural conclusion and it's time to turn the page.
We remain curiously optimistic for what the future may hold. I would still love to get to Syria myself one day. Maybe more knitwear will be produced in the years to come. Until that time, we are closing our website and unregistering as an NGO. It's the hard, right thing to do.
Thank you for your willingness to trust us with your resources over the decade plus. The project wouldn't have been successful without your hearts to give.
With gratitude,
Laurie
“When we think about the injustices of the world the only way we can wrap our heads around why some people were born into a life of safety and comfort and others into a life defined by war and hardship is that those of us in these positions of privilege have been called to act. It’s the beauty of humanity working through us both as individuals and as a collective group. We were blessed to be a blessing.”
-Laurie Hart, Founder/Director Love for Syria