Keren Acoca

Welcome to my marathon sponsor page!

This April, 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 over 30 years. From infancy through adulthood, this amazing organization provides leading- edge therapies, inclusive educational frameworks, social and recreational activities, employment training, independent living, and respite programs regardless of religion, ethnic background or financial capability!

At the sudden onset of the war in Israel, Shalva stepped up in supporting as many people as they could as fast as they could. They have opened their doors as a National Crisis Response Center welcoming over 200 families from the South providing both the physical safety and emotional support the individuals so desperately need. Shalva is also homing 100 teenage girls and the staff, from a youth-at-risk program on a kibbutz in the south that miraculously were not at their center due to the holiday when the campus was completely destroyed. They are also providing day care programing for evacuated children. Shalva's emergency campaign along with their consistent care of 1000 children with disabilities is inspiring. 

Simply put, Shalva is an incredible place and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The staff is so loving and kind and goes above and beyond to make the center a home away from home.

Besides for my training for the run, I am committing myself to doing my part to support this amazing organization and the Shalva National Crisis Response Center by baking and selling 16 challot each week 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 contributions are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law, and 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! This year I will be running for all of the residents, soldiers and hostages in Israel who have suffered or given up their lives since Oct 7th. 2023. As mentioned earlier, I will be baking and selling 16 challot per week, donating all the ingredients and time, thereby donating 100% of the proceeds from the sale. Each week, as I do Hafrashat Challah (separate the dough and make a bracha), it will be in their memory and in prayer for the safe return of the 101 hostages still in captivity. Please help me reach or even surpass my goal!