What We Can Do for Gaza: How Conscious Spending Can Help End the Suffering

Today I stopped to read this article. Typically, I scroll past anything happening in Gaza because I hate feeling helpless, sad, and defeated. I often get caught up in the pain and spiral feeling out of control over the heartbreak.

Then I spiral around in my mind wondering: What can I do?

This girl is trying to keep her family alive in Gaza. Hunger already killed her baby niece.

Today though, as I read this story, I let my heart break and I noticed how desensitized many of us have become to what’s happening.

It is horrific what is happening in Gaza and even worse that it’s all being televised. How fucked up is it that we can see these sweet humans in war, being denied food and water and humanitarian aid?

There has to be a way to reach these people. Innocent babies are dying; innocent humans are dying. Sure, war has always been happening, but has it ever been televised like this?

Have we ever been able to see step by step as it happens?

I started looking up things I can do and here's what came up. It matters where we put our money.

“The movement is calling for consumers around the world to stop buying the fuel Chevron sells at gas stations, as well as its automotive coolants and engine oil. In addition, they’re calling for banks, pension funds, local governments, and other institutions to divest from the company’s stocks. 

Boycotting Chevron for Fueling Genocide

Have you heard of this? I'm sad to say it’s been going on for over a year, and I just now found it. Thankfully I don't support Chevron already, but did you know that where your money is in the stocks matters. If you're supporting fossil fuels it is directly impacting the war and climate change.

Moving your money, if you have it in stocks or banks that support fossil fuels, into stocks and banks that don’t support fossil fuels, can help global warming and it turns out it can also help defund companies fueling this war.

Every day that I wake up in a safe home with running water, a fridge stocked with food, a healthy husband, and two healthy kids, I am reminded of the inequalities in life and in this young girl’s current life living in Gaza.

I keep praying for her and her family. I keep imagining them all wrapped in peace, love, and safety.

I remind myself that where I put my money is a vote for a future I agree with or not. Target and Amazon took away their programs that support diversity, equity, and inclusion, so I don’t shop there anymore.

This has never been easier to do, and yet it’s still hard to change our habits. A quick ChatGPT search will tell you if a company supports these programs, if a bank supports fossil fuels, or not.

So even though not shopping at certain places or changing our banks is inconvenient, it's something we can do for this family and others living in a cruel war zone.

Love always,

Danielle Mallett