At the January 20th Tap Talk at North Water Brewing, we will hear the story of HEAL Palestine, an organization founded in Kent in response to the unimaginable devastation in Gaza where thousands of lives were lost in a short period, impacting generations for decades to come.  Husband and wife Steve Sosebee and Dr. Zeena Salman created the non-profit, non-political, and non-religious organization in early 2024 envisioning a Palestine where every child and adult has access to quality healthcare, education, urgent aid, and opportunities to thrive.

Steve Sosebee explains, “We deliver urgent relief and long-term support to Palestinian children and families providing critical care and resources with the belief that every child deserves the chance to heal and thrive.” In HEAL Palestine’s first year of operation, 62 injured children have been evacuated from Gaza for surgeries, prosthetics, and rehabilitative care in the U.S. On the ground in Gaza, thousands of loaves of bread are delivered every day through the HEAL Bakery in Khan Younis and over a million patients have received medical care through HEAL Palestine’s Field Hospital.

Steve Sosebee, a graduate of Theodore Roosevelt High School in Kent, has led humanitarian efforts in Palestine for three decades, beginning with arranging free medical care in 1990 for the first injured children from Palestine in the U.S. Dr. Zeena Salman, a pediatric oncologist, leads a team at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital focused on medical evacuations from Gaza. Her work includes global pediatric cancer capacity-building in Palestine, Sudan, and Ukraine.

Please join us January’s Tap Talks to meet this remarkable Kent-based humanitarian team and hear more about the workings of HEAL Palestine.

Tap Talks was initiated by Don Schjeldahl, the creator of North Water Brewing, as a way to bring the community together for conversation about life in Kent, Kent’s history, and issues of the day that impact us all. It’s also a chance to enjoy an array of locally-brewed artisan ales and beers. Tap Talks are sponsored by Kent Historical Society and scheduled monthly at 7 pm at North Water Brewing, 101 Crain Avenue in Kent.