My Five Decade Walk With Anera

Along with millions of others the world over, I, too, care about justice, human rights and dignity for all, especially for the Palestinian people who have suffered so long and so grievously simply for seeking those same basic rights.

I feel so fortunate to have found Anera early on since it aligned with my desire to help Palestinians forced to flee their homes and ancestral lands in the wake of the Arab-Israeli War of 1967, and even earlier. Its mission to provide immediate relief AND to improve lives through long-term development projects struck a chord in me — and as soon as I heard about it, I became a donor. Over the last more than five decades, I have watched with pride and wonder at Anera’s herculean accomplishments in so many crucial fields — food assistance, healthcare, education and agriculture, to name a few. It would be impossible to count the number of people down the generations whose lives are better today, or who are alive today because of Anera, but it is vast. To have been a tiny part of that noble effort all these years has been a great blessing to me. Anera has helped me to live my values and fulfill my purpose. It has enriched my life and calmed my soul.

Today, among humanitarian aid organizations, Anera stands in a class by itself. Its transparency, efficiency and ingenuity, along with its focus on Palestinians in Lebanon, Jordan, the West Bank, Gaza and even Syria has made it a powerful source for good in the Middle East. Who wouldn’t want to get in on that?

Anera has earned the highest recognition from Charity Watch, Charity Navigator and other watchdog groups. Its reliance on local groups as partners for guidance and distribution is not only cost-effective, it also assures the best outcome for the people served. I see Anera as an extremely well-run ‘family’ venture, where every member has the same passionate commitment to bring help and hope to a people long bereft of a fair share and a fair shot at a decent life.

I am also inspired by donors whose support has been so critical to Anera’s success. By funding programs and services and generously responding to crisis after crisis, donors keep making life better for people they will never meet. I can remember when annual donations stood in the low single digits. I never imagined that $219 million in humanitarian aid would be delivered in a single year, as stated in Anera’s Annual Report for 2024.

Since you are now visiting Anera’s website, I suggest you take a deep dive into its history, past and present, and see for yourself how worthy it is of our support. I recently did this and was astonished by the wide range and diversity of projects Anera is willing to undertake. Whether a packet of peanut paste to bring a baby back from starvation or the installation of clean water and wastewater systems, Anera is there, ready to help.

My Journey to Anera

You may wonder how I was able to connect with Anera over 50 years ago. For that, I go back to my own beginnings. Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts in 1929, on the cusp of the Great Depression, I came of age at the end of World War II. With our men coming home, Europe’s refugees being repatriated, the wheels of industry cranking up, the air felt pristine, full of optimism and hope.

And so, in 1949, my best friend, Paulette Levesque, and I bolted for New York City to test the waters. Paulette’s career as a nurse at Cornell Medical Center flourished and I was thrilled to find work in television, then in its infancy. After two years at ABC-TV, I landed a job on the staff of ‘Omnibus’, an educational program sponsored by The Ford Foundation and narrated by Alistair Cooke.

We loved everything about The Big Apple — theater and musical events, foreign films, Fifth Avenue, the Met, the ferry and even the subways. By 1954, we had saved, scraped, and borrowed enough money for a 3-month fling through Europe on $5 a day. In 1956, it was Mexico and Cuba for a month on similar terms. It was all quite heady, a great time to be alive and young.

Then came the day later that year when Paulette announced she had decided to join Aramco, (Arabian-American Oil Co.) in Saudi Arabia to help put her brother through medical school. I protested but she went, and soon glowing reports were flowing my way amid suggestions that I give it a try. It sounded bizarre at the time, but two years later, with Omnibus off-air and Aramco starting up its own TV station, I signed up for two years, unaware how totally the arc of my life had changed.

It was not on my radar screen that I would marry Howard ‘Howie’ Norton in 1961 or that we would raise three children and retire from Aramco after 30 years of the good life. Nor that during that period we would travel extensively in the Middle East and become enamored with its glorious antiquities, vibrant souks, and scrumptious food. And always and everywhere, the people we met were dignified, kind, and brimming with hospitality.

But back then, in Dhahran in 1958, I was just a newcomer who found life surprisingly agreeable. (Ironically, Paulette, who had married and become a mom, would soon be returning to the U.S.) Our community was welcoming and there was always plenty going on. I enjoyed working with young Saudi television trainees and others, including Palestinians. I appreciated the amenities Aramco provided and enjoyed poking about the local towns and villages. Still, we were isolated and thoughts of travel were never far from mind. My first trip was to Cairo and the pyramids and here the groundwork was laid for my fascination with all things Middle Eastern.

The Holy Land in 1960, was next. As part of a tour of Jerusalem, we were taken to a refugee camp outside its walls. There, amid a sea of flimsy tents, I met a gaunt, elderly man wearing a white thobe and sitting on a wooden crate in front of his tent. In his right hand he held an unusually large key which he brandished towards Jerusalem as he tried to tell his story in Arabic, in a voice that sounded cracked, worn out. Our guide said the old man had been driven from his home years earlier and all he had left was the key.

This encounter was a game-changer for me. Back in Dhahran, I sought to join in whatever relief activities Aramcons engaged in to help victims of the Nakba. Exquisite embroideries made by refugee women were for sale, clothing drives were held and our thrift-shop, the ‘Women’s Exchange’, sent its profits to fund scholarships in Beirut. But it was not until Anera’s founding in1968 that donations had a place to go.

Walking with Anera as a donor ever since has been one of the best decisions of my life. I have found joy and satisfaction knowing my contributions, along with others, have helped to ease the pain and lighten the burdens of Palestinians in the communities Anera serves.

Why I Will Still Keep Giving

I love that for the past fifty years and more, Anera has kept its promise. I love the bold, courageous vision that keeps Anera ready for whatever is to come. I love the personal touch Anera‘s staff offers each needy person, helping to keep dignity and hope alive.

Perhaps the most important reason to give is because Anera NEEDS each one of us, including me, if the mission is to continue, as it must.

P.S. I’ve decided to become a monthly donor. I am asking that my contributions go for Gaza’s future needs — but wherever monthly donations go, they will bring help and hope.