Rebecca Homayoonfar

Welcome to my marathon sponsor page!

This March I will be running as part of Team Shalva in the Jerusalem Marathon!

This marathon has been dubbed one of the hardest in the world, so why on earth am I doing it?

The reason is Shalva.

Shalva has been providing transformative care to individuals with disabilities and their family members in the warmest and most loving environment for nearly 30 years. From infancy through adulthood, this amazing organization provides leading-edge therapies, inclusive educational frameworks, social and recreational activities, employment training, independent living, respite programs regardless of religion, ethnic background or financial capability! The staff is so loving and kind and goes above and beyond to make the center a home away from home. Simply put, Shalva is an incredible place and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Such values are the core of my upbringing and are embedded in my family life. I have personally experienced the value of organizations such as Shalva through my father's battle with cancer, as well as my mother's profession as a child psychologist. Such personal experiences and exposures have allowed me to truly understand the hardships and obstacles that families face at times. It is my personal mission to help relieve as much stress as I can from the impacted families.

This past summer I had the opportunity to tour Israel as a part of Mach Hach BaAretz. For adventure week, I opted to be a part of the chesed program. Along with 30 other campers, I had the privilege of visiting the Shalva center and seeing first-hand what it’s all about. I immediately fell in love with the organization as well as the very special children I met there. I walked out of the building determined to do as much as I can to support their cause.

I am doing my part to support this amazing organization by running, and I need your help.

I'll take care of the training, the achy feet and the finish line if you'll help me by donating to this worthy cause. All donations are 100% tax-deductible, anything you can give would help me reach my goal, and together we'll be supporting this truly special place. If your company has a matching gift program, please let me know so I can connect you with Shalva.

Thank you in advance for your help and generosity.