Meet Faith

We recently connected with Faith and have shared our conversation below.

Faith, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. One of the things we most admire about you is your generosity and so we’d love if you could talk to us about where you think your generosity comes from.

Generosity seems to be more prevalent among those who understand hardship and I am no exception. I learned that even when you have nothing, you can help others. No matter how down on our luck we were, my mom always had room at the table, provided we had one that year.
I’ve been through many things in my life, but I would experience my traumas again, if I had to, because it has made me who I am. Hardship develops empathy for what others are going through and an easier ability to imagine yourself in their shoes.
In part, my generosity comes from my selfish desire to influence the world our children are growing up in and will one day inherit. What we allow to happen to the children of others, we allow to happen to our own and I want my children to live in a safe world. A world where people love one another and thinking of others, helping others, is normal. A world in which all children are considered sacred and I never have to worry that others would not consider mine sacred as well.
One of the reasons I started my nonprofit, Vigils for Humanity, was because I was losing faith in humanity. I needed to do something to feel its existence, even if it came only from me. I couldn’t think of how I could make any difference in what was happening; but I knew that I felt the pain of every parent and I wanted to not only raise money to help those suffering, but to show that I feel their pain, that I understand the beauty of the lives taken; that each child matters.
I held a vigil for the child martyrs, because if I couldn’t stop their deaths, I could at least mourn with them. I could try to show the world that they are just like our own children. Even as my teenagers wondered why I would take the time to do it, because they didn’t think it would change anything; I was still pushed to do it. I didn’t know why God wanted me to, but it was something I knew I needed to. I could battle that dehumanization by showing their humanity and my own. I now know that I also needed my children to see that it is important to care, even if you are the only one.
Although much of my website for my nonprofit is about connecting grass roots projects and helping families, (an effort that led to me also being a founding member of Among the Rubble Collective, a group helping distribution efforts and families) it is about humanizing people. That is why on my website, vigilsforhumanity.com, I also post stories of families, of who they are as human beings. I want people to relate to them, get to know them and understand that the only difference between their family and our own are the circumstances we were born in.
Although I started with Palestine, I hope to expand and help all over the world, wherever humanity needs to be illuminated, including at home. Perhaps I will fail; perhaps I am not meant for great things, but I could be the inspiration for someone who will be and I’ll always know I tried.
I have always had faith in a higher power, in God. Generosity, kindness, empathy, and humanity are all things that make me feel closer and I was losing faith because those things seemed to be losing importance in our world. Even after the vigil, I was feeling lost; how could I make people understand? After pouring through hundreds of children’s stories for the vigil, their images, the videos of their laughing, innocent faces were constantly playing in my mind. My heart ached in sympathetic agony; every minute a parent’s worst nightmare was happening and I could not stop it.

One night, I broke down. I fell to my knees, sobbing, unsure of what to ask for as I prayed. I begged for help to show the world that they are all our children, to help me believe in humanity again. Unsure if it was emotional exhaustion or comfort from above, I fell asleep, oddly at peace. I had resolved that I would keep sharing stories and humanizing people, because I could, at least, do that.
When I woke, I began opening my messages and reviewing the profiles of those who had reached out for help. The first profile I opened, I was shocked. Why did this family have pictures of my toddler?
I soon realized that it wasn’t my son, but a child who looked exactly like mine. A doppelgänger. My son, my rainbow baby who had given me hope after a miscarriage, was also the answer to my plea.
They were so similar in appearance, that after making a post about them, my in-laws contacted me, worried for their grandchild. They had thought he was the one I was posting about. I had asked how to show the world and I was answered. If even one person is moved by their similarities, to recognize that they are all our children, then I was answered.
The other part of my prayer came through my work. In my quest to help, to try to illuminate humanity and connect communities, I met people that have restored my faith in humanity. Some of that restored belief coming from the people I worked with, like Among the Rubble Collective, tirelessly looking for ways to help, putting others above themselves. (As a member, Among the Rubble has a page dedicated to their efforts on the website.) Some came from getting to know those that spend their days fundraising for families on TikTok. Much of it was restored by those I was trying to help.
One example is my friend, Aisha. I had just finished posting their family’s video, learning about her small family and getting to know her. Soon afterwards, her husband was martyred trying to get bread. I felt devastated and like a failure that I couldn’t do more or enough. However, when expressing my condolences, even in her pain, she thanked me and she blessed me. After becoming a widow, living with her child among the rubble, she comforted me. Her kind soul soothed my own during her personal torment.
Those who I have helped are also among the most generous of people that I have ever met, like Sanaa, a teacher in Gaza. During her own struggle, instead of using the income to survive from renting out the spare room in her home, her family let her convert it into a makeshift school. She devoted her time and savings to teach the displaced children living around their home in tents. Her kindness and generosity are what I pray for this world.

I don’t see myself as generous; I am simply trying to emulate the world in which I want to exist.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

Until recently, I always believed that no matter how bad things were in the world, we would always rise above through our collective fight for humanity, through our shared beliefs in what needs to be protected, which things should be sacred to us all.
I was unable to climb from beneath my grief, a grief not only for those suffering, but my overwhelming grief in witnessing the loss of humanity.

Vigils for Humanity is my attempt to highlight that humanity still exists, to fight for that belief and to attempt to help those that humanity has failed.

Families share their stories of who they are as human beings and next to their videos, I post their individual donation links. I do the same for grassroots projects. I also hold merchandise giveaways to help motivate donations. Anyone who donates to a family or cause on the website, or promotes a family, cause or the nonprofit through social media can be entered into the giveaway after filling out an entry form.

This is the second year for Vigils for Humanity. The first year was my own investment, and I hope that people will see what I could do, given the opportunity, and be inspired to join me.

The first year, we did a candlelight vigil for the child martyrs of Gaza, a 60 chicken food distribution with tips for volunteers and a second food distribution that helped around 240 families as well as smaller distributions of food, blankets, baby formula and tents.
When Naser hospital was besieged, we helped a displaced family with shelter, blankets, formula and food aid.
We helped sponsor the Art of War Benefit concert that raised money for Gaza.
We also promoted other groups distributions, projects and families through giveaways and advertising.

This year, although my funds have dwindled, we have done two smaller distributions for Ramadan in Gaza. I hope to be able to sponsor more events to raise money and awareness, to be able to do more distributions and bring more faith in humanity into this world.

As for my own passions, I channel my emotion into action and art, such as poetry. One poem that I would like to share came from my experience through this journey of getting to know those in Gaza and their devout faith in God. It is called, Alhamdulillah, I’m fine.

Before I share, it helps to know that saying Alhamdulillah is a way of praising God, giving thanks no matter the circumstances, as Job did in the Bible story.

Alhamdulillah, I’m fine.
By Faith Hernandez

How do pleasantries persist?
How do I ask that question,
As they struggle to exist?

How are you?

It echos in my mind…
How do I ask this?
Is it not asinine?
How dare I ask such a thing?
When I know how they are living…

And yet, they always reply,
Alhamdulillah, I’m fine.

My thirst is quenched,
While theirs is dry,
But when I ask,
How are you?
They say, Alhamdulillah, I’m fine.

I urge my child to eat his grains,
While they tie rocks to tiny tummies
To ease the hunger pains…
And yet, they still reply,
Alhamdulillah, I’m fine.

We scroll our phones to pass the time,
So they turn to TikTok to try to survive.
Across countries, across the world,
They appeal to the humanity left inside.

They share their stories,
They share their lives,
They share their tales of a genocide.

His entire family was erased in the night.
And when I ask,
How are you brother?
He replies, Alhamdulillah, I’m alive.

What else do you say?
I’m sorry for your loss.
I’m sorry for your pain.
And I hear, time and again,
Alhamdulillah sister,
Don’t cry, it’s okay, thank God anyway.

We learn their names,
Their memories become ingrained,
Written on our very souls,
As if they were our own.
And although, we know we are Not ok, and neither are they,
We ask that dreaded question every day.
We fear the answer,
but we ask anyway.
Praying we get a reply,
praying they lasted the night,
Waiting to see the words on our screen, or hear their voices aloud,
Wondering all the while,
Would I have the strength to say,
Alhamdulillah, I’m okay.

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?

Compassion, empathy and determination are things I believe helped me in charity work. I would tell people to not fear failure. Accept it as a possibility and try anyways. Understand that it is not about you, but who you are helping and what you can actually do. Find those who can do what you can’t and support them. Then focus on your strengths and how you can use them to accomplish what you want.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking for collaboration. We work better together than alone.
If there are families that individuals are working with and they want their story told, this is a resource.

If someone would like to hold their own vigil, to honor those lost and remind people of their humanity, we are willing to collaborate and share our own work to accomplish this.

I want to expand to other areas in need and look forward to working with those that might help me with that.
If there are charitable events that are helping areas in need, I am also willing to advertise them on my website.

You can help by spreading awareness of my website and nonprofit. Share by word-of-mouth, social media, poster or merchandise. This would bring help to the families and causes on the site. If you have skills or ideas that you believe could help highlight humanity, I am open to suggestions and contributions.

If possible, one day, I want to host or help sponsor a multi-day, encampment style, interactive charity festival with vigils of the martyrs through the night, performances by artists, virtual performances and guest appearances of those in Palestine throughout with family activities. This would be a beautiful collaboration if I can gain enough interest and I would love possible collaboration with our own indigenous community in support of theirs.

I can be reached through the website, where you can message or email me, as well as on social media.

Vigils for Humanity:
Website: vigilsforhumanity.com
Instagram: @vigils_for_humanity
Facebook: Vigils for Humanity
TikTok : @ faithemt428

Personal
TikTok @mamafemarie
Instagram: @faithsvigilsforhumanity

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Vigilsforhumanity.com
• Instagram: Vigils_for_humanity
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/14gPgQnUfv/?mibextid=wwXlftr