The aid activities in Beit Sahour by the founders of this association began around twenty years ago. One of the founders suggested helping cancer patients in the city through donations from this group, their friends, and personal funds. This group is now known in the city as “Shabab al-Markeb” (Ship Youth), a name related to survival and assistance, symbolizing salvation and life according to the Old Testament. A prominent example is Noah’s Ark, which saved humanity and all living beings.

Approximately ten years after this association’s activities, a new supportive entity named “Youth Movement” was formed in the city. It had several volunteer activities and expanded its work to various aspects of life for Beit Sahour residents. The Youth Movement had a representative in the municipal council in the previous term and played a role in helping families in need either directly or through coordination with Shabab al-Markeb.

Shabab al-Markeb and the Youth Movement helped a large number of humanitarian cases, especially those needing medical treatments. They played a crucial role in the success of multiple fundraising campaigns for expensive surgeries. Both associations would announce a fundraising campaign in the city for a specific case and the city’s residents would respond to the call quickly.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Shabab al-Markeb, in collaboration with the Youth Movement and Beit Sahour expatriates in the United States, established a unified fund to support families in need. The fund has, over the past four years, met the needs of medical cases and other urgent requirements for families.

Shabab al-Markeb, in collaboration with the Youth Movement, also launched a campaign to purchase oxygen devices during the pandemic. Within 24 hours, they raised funds to buy thirty oxygen devices, which were distributed to those in need in the city of Beit Sahour.

All activities and projects of the fund were carried out with the blessing of Father Suheil Fakhouri, the priest of the Catholic Church in Beit Sahour, who provided all possible support to facilitate the aid activities.

Due to the expansion of the fund’s activities and the desire of its members to formalize these efforts, a charitable association was registered to primarily help low-income families in the governorate and meet their living needs within available resources. The association aims to collaborate with all active institutions in the governorate to meet at least the minimum needs of needy families.