As a committee member of AFMDA in Buck County, PA, I am always thrilled with the work accomplished in Israel with funds sent internationally. A new station is being built in Jerusalem. The current Jerusalem station in the busiest station in Israel. Please go to: http://afmda.org/ for Magen David Adom updates. And please give generously.
In addition to a professional staff in the US AFMDA maintains two very important staff in ISrael. the first serves as an ombudsman for the AFMDA donor. when AFMDA undertakes a project to fund, he oversees the project to be sure it is implemented properly according to the standards that anyone would expect, making sure that the donor can be proud that it is done as it should be done. A second staff person hosts tourists and others at Magen David sites throughout Israel on a regular basis, by the thousands each year. Uniquely, AFMDA has pioneered the opportunity for tourists to donate blood to MDA in israel, promoting and facilitating blood drives that have doubled in number every year, become a tourist attraction and the most meaningful way to help save lives in israel that any tourist can do, and has brough to Israel more than 4500 life saving blood donors. AFMDA is professional, innovative, and supports the most essential network of life saving services that benefit all Israelis.
I have been to Israel twice and both times have become familiar with the incredible work of Magen David Adom, which supports the lifesaving efforts of Magen David Adom (MDA) in Israel and represents MDA in the US. Not everyone is aware that the MDA National Blood Services Center provides 100% of the blood requirements of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and 97% of the blood needs of Israel’s hospitals and the general population. My wife and I visited the Blood Services Center and joined a growing trend of Americans donating blood in Israel. AFMDA can arrange a blood drive for any group or tour. Visiting Israel was so meaningful to us and we wanted to give something back to the people of Israel and we felt this was the best way! Now we encourage others to do the same. The following year we visited Israel with a group of 80 from our synagogue and the cantor and tour leader arranged a tour of the MDA Jerusalem Station so the group could learn about Israel's first responders. The kids really enjoyed getting to take photos in front of the ambulances. Now I do everything I can to spread the word about this important organization. I tell my friends what I've seen and how important it is to support this cause. I attend some of the events and make donations each year. In fact, this is the charity I give to when I need to make a donation in memory of someone so that a life can be saved to replace the one that was lost. There is no greater mitzvah that to save a life! That is what this organization does, save lives in Israel.