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ADYA

American Druze Society - Houston Chapter

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Suwayda Humanitarian Assistance Fund 2018

To Our Beloved Community

Our community was shocked and horrified by the senseless attacks that resulted in the massacre of hundreds of innocent Druze in AlSuwaida.  In our attempt to provide some relief to those affected by the attacks, the ADS Houston Chapter has set up a mechanism to donate money for the benefit of those directly affected by the event.  We have collected over $55,000 to date, more donations are still flowing, and we have pledges for additional funds from our generous community in the USA.

The purpose of this letter is to describe to all donors the process we are using to ensure that your donations will be handled properly, to be delivered to the victims of the massacre, and within the bounds of United States laws.

·         The funds received from your donations into the ADS Houston Chapter will be transferred in whole less transaction fees charged by the banks to the “Druze Foundation for Social Welfare in Lebanon” (www.druzefoundation.com) bank account.  The foundation will have a letter from the ADS Houston Chapter Board with specific instructions to transfer the funds received to The Druze Social Interdependence Program (www.siporg.com) in AlSuwaida.  Both organizations are Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs).

o    The Druze Foundation for Social Welfare was founded in 1983 (Registered Charity No. 168/A.D. 1983) in order to take care of the relief work in the war zones of Lebanon during the unfortunate events at that time. Later, it took the responsibility of supporting the Druze families of the martyrs and the disabled over a period of twenty years with a total amount of contributions USD 7,500,000.

o    The Druze Social Interdependence Program set up in AlSuwaida is focused on providing humanitarian, medical, educational assistance and ensuring access to better life conditions during difficult events for the Druze community in AlSuwaida and Edlib.  The organization is guided by the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, and independence.  The primary purpose of the organization is to provide humanitarian aid to save lives, alleviate suffering and further respect of human dignity through material aid and logistical assistance in response to humanitarian crises such as the war crises in Syria.  

·         An authorized representative of the Druze Social Interdependence Program will be identified and his/her identity confirmed by the Druze Foundation for Social Welfare on behalf of the ADS Houston Chapter to receive the funds along with a letter from the Houston Chapter providing instructions to disburse the funds consistent with the mission of the Druze Social Interdependence Program. Disbursements will be documented and the chain of custody of funds from receipt of donor donations by the Houston Chapter and through every subsequent step to the person(s) receiving aid in AlSuwaida.
Implementation of the above process is consistent with the requirements of the USA Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Controls (OFAC). The Houston Chapter has used a similar process in the past to send a humanitarian donation to a Druze family in Syria.
We want to thank every donor for their generosity and support of our Druze brothers and sisters in AlSuwaida.  Your donation is but a small contribution to relieve the unspeakable suffering in AlSuwaida.

Please contact the ADS Houston Chapter if you have any questions at adshouston1@gmail.com.

To our beloved Druze community. 

The American Druze Community is deeply disturbed by and condemns the heinous crimes committed by ISIS against our peaceful community and innocent families in As-Suwayda, Syria Wednesday, July 25th, 2018.  The Houston Chapter of the American Druze Society stands ready to provide assistance to the families of the martyrs. If you wish to donate to help the affected families please click below.​

Emergency Fund​

If you prefer to pay by Check, please make your check payable to:

ADS Houston Chapter

3402 Cardiff Mist Dr., Katy, Texas 77494

Please include the memo on the check: For Suwayda Assistance Fund

or more information, please contact us at adshouston1@gmail.com or

Souheil "Sean" Ghaoui at 713-412-5440.