'That's the Canadian thing:' Local businesses donating proceeds for Gaza relief this week

More than 30 restaurants and local businesses across Windsor-Essex are donating a portion of their proceeds this week in support of Palestinian relief, amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas that has killed thousands of people. 

Businesses from a barber shop to restaurants including Souq Lebanese Grill and Hakimo Donair are each donating a portion of their proceeds on specific days this week, a poster for the fundraiser shows. 

"It's devastating. It's one of the biggest humanitarian crises in the world right now," said Hassan El-Cheikh, vice-president of Hamoudi's Shawarma and one of the organizers of the campaign. 

"There's no water, there's no food, there's no electricity, there's no medicine. People are dying left and right and we just want to do our part to make sure we're helping as much as possible."

El-Cheikh said there are more than 50 businesses participating. Many of the businesses have owners or staff with family in Gaza or elsewhere in the region. 

Despite the campaign's flyer bearing the Palestinian flag, participating businesses are saying their involvement is not about choosing sides.

"They're all affected. They all feel it. It's not a political issue, it's a humanitarian issue," he said. 

"Everyone's all over the political spectrum. People are on this side, that side, down the middle," he said. "We don't want to create any sort of division or any sort of anger or upset. We just want to help people in need."

El-Cheikh said they've already added an additional day — Sunday — to the campaign, and restaurants have been asking if they can extend the effort another week, which is currently in the works. 

Both Hammoudi's locations that are participating will donate 100 per cent of their proceeds on Friday. 

While it's too soon to say how much the fundraiser will generate, El-Cheikh said he's expecting it to be thousands of dollars.

Adam Ibrahim is the manager at Windsor Pure & Clean H20 to Go, one of the participating businesses in the campaign. They offer drinking water purification systems and distribution. 

The business donated 100 per cent of its sales on Tuesday. 

"It's a call for help and it's a call for, you know, all Canadians to help in any shape or form.

"That's what's beautiful about Canada is that when there's a need for help, people just show up," he said. "That's the Canadian thing."

Islamic Relief Canada one of several charities receiving aid

Aliya Samsair is the Windsor region representative to Islamic Relief Canada, one of the charities that will benefit from the fundraiser. 

"It's absolutely, absolutely beautiful … that the Windsor community always bands together and shows their support for those that are suffering and facing that fear and pain that so many of us don't ever wish upon ourselves or our families," Samsair said. 

The Canadian Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and the Palestine Children's Relief Fund will also benefit from the effort this week. 

Samsair said the funds coming to Islamic Relief Canada will be directed specifically toward their offices in Gaza, which is providing medical supplies, food packages and vouchers, warm meals and sleeping supplies.

They have also recently launched a campaign urging the Canadian government to open up a humanitarian corridor to get aid into Gaza. 

The conflict between Israel and Hamas has escalated over the last 11 days, with thousands of people dead in both Gaza and Israel. 

But despite the scope of the conflict, Samsair says it can be easy to lose sight of how much every dollar can help. 

"I know it can feel daunting when we hear numbers like a million Palestinians, a million people have been displaced and they don't have homes. For us to think: donating a couple thousand dollars, what is that really going to do? 

"We shouldn't get overwhelmed and desensitized by the images we may be seeing, by all the different numbers that we're hearing. It's just reminding ourselves that if this was happening to me, if this was happening to my child, would I not be grateful if someone did lend me a hand?"