Home Restoration Secures Brighter Future for Family

In the quiet, rural south of Israel, a young mother named Liora thought she had a simple life. But her world shattered just as she prepared to welcome her second child. Her husband was arrested, given a long prison sentence, and vanished from her life. Suddenly, Liora wasn't just a mother—she was a single woman, alone, facing desperate poverty. The challenges mounted rapidly: “I was left to look after two babies. At the same time, I got ill. I got a diagnosis that I have fibromyalgia. I wasn't even sure that I'd be able to work eight hours a day.” Liora was trapped in an old house so neglected that its very structure was unfit for habitation. She describes the conditions: “There were rat problems here. All the electrics, they chewed up. The wires were all exposed. There were so many things wrong. The house wasn't level. The doors wouldn't close properly. Everything was basically falling apart.”

The house was a hazardous environment for her two small children, forcing Liora to seek refuge by moving in with her parents. However, the sheer burden of this stressful new situation only intensified, and her existing illness began to take an increasing toll. The temporary move became a years-long strain: “For about three years I slept on the couch, and we lived out of suitcases because there wasn't cupboards for everyone and everything. I’m really not feeling good and I didn't even have the energy to deal with anything.”

Desperate, Liora's social worker reached out to CBN Israel for help, knowing that restoring her dilapidated house was such a massive and complex project that there was virtually no hope she could tackle it alone. Thanks to the generous support of CBN Israel donors, the necessary major repairs were swiftly completed, and Liora and her daughters were able to move back into a safe home—which significantly improved her health. “I think that if I was still at my parents' house, I would probably mentally not be as well, which means I wouldn't work. My spirits are lifted. My body isn't sore. I have more energy. I can go out and work.” CBN Israel gave Liora the essential support she needed to stabilize her family and finally begin working toward a safe and secure future for her girls. Liora is overwhelmed by the transformation: “Things like this don't happen. I got a house. It affects me and my daughters in every aspect that you can think of. I feel physically better because mentally I'm doing better. I can't explain in words how life-changing this has been. I feel I've got my own place. I feel like I can breathe. It's amazing. This smile hasn't come off my face since we started this project.”