Change With Your Hands – Students, Write to your elected officials

We are excited to share with you our new “Change With Your Hand” initiative from Justice For All’s Feed Gaza Coalition. 

We are asking families, schools, and communities to encourage children to write personalized, handwritten letters to their senators, elected officials, and the First Lady, respectfully urging them to call for the lifting of all restrictions on food and medicine to Gaza.

As Muslims, we know that the Prophet ﷺ taught us that the highest form of faith is to correct wrong with our hand. This initiative gives children the opportunity to live that teaching—by writing letters to U.S. leaders urging them to act to end the oppression in Palestine and ensure humanitarian aid reaches Gaza.

Here’s how your family, school and community can take part:

• Ask your children at home, Islamic school, weekend school, or youth program to each write a letter in their own handwriting, asking them to help end the blockade on Gaza and allow food and medicine in.
• Keep the message polite, heartfelt, and compassionate.
• Each child should hand write the address on their envelope, and the teacher or parent can place the stamp and mail it. Bulk letters in one envelope will take much longer to process due to White House protocols.
• Families are also encouraged to participate alongside the children.

Together, our children’s voices can carry a powerful moral message: no child should go hungry.

Purpose: To encourage students to write compassionate, handwritten letters to their senators, elected officials, and the First Lady, asking them to use their position to help lift restrictions on food and medicine for children in Gaza.

1. Preparing the Students

• Briefly explain (in age-appropriate terms):
  • Most children in Gaza don’t have enough food or medicine.
  • The First Lady of the United States and some elected officials have expressed concern about this issue.
  • As children, we can share our voices in a kind and respectful way.

2. Writing the Letters

• Provide each student with paper, envelope, and pen/pencil.
• Share the Sample Letter (see below).
• However, encourage them to:
  • Write in their own words
  • In their own handwriting.
  • Personalize with 1–2 sentences (example: “I love playing soccer and I hope children in Gaza can play too without being hungry.”).
  • Younger children can add drawings (flowers, peace signs, children holding hands, etc.).

3. Collecting the Letters

• Teachers: Once children have written the address on the envelope, collect all letters, stamp and mail them
• Parents: Gather letters and envelopes from your children at home and mail them individually

4. Mailing Address

You can find contact information to mail the letters to elected officials here:

https://www.usa.gov/elected-officials

Here also is the address of the First Lady:

First Lady Melania Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

 

5. Tips for Success

Encourage sincerity: one or two heartfelt sentences are more powerful than copying.

Keep letters positive and respectful.

Remind students that even small voices can bring big change.

Take a photo of your class/children with their letters to share encouragement with others in the community.

6. Deadline Suggestion

Set a collection deadline (for example, October 30, 2025) so letters can be mailed promptly and together for stronger impact.

7. A Sample Letter which must be customized

Dear [elected official],

My name is [insert name], and I am a student at [insert school or city]. I am writing to you because I learned that many children in Gaza do not have enough food or medicine. This makes me very sad.

I know you care about children. I hope you can help by asking for food and medicine to be allowed into Gaza so that children there can live healthy lives.

Thank you for listening to my letter. I believe that your voice can make a big difference.

Sincerely,

[Student’s Name] [Age or Grade]

8. Media Opportunity (Optional):

If your school is located in the Chicago, Maryland, or Washington D.C area our sister organization, Muslim Network TV, can visit your school to film a short video, and take photos of the students actively participating in the initiative, amplifying their voices to inspire others.

This initiative is part of the larger Feed Gaza Coalition, which has launched because the humanitarian crisis in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels. To learn more or to join the Feed Gaza Coalition, visit: feedgaza.net/join-the-coalition

The Coalition has one urgent demand: that President Trump ensure Israel immediately lifts all restrictions preventing food and medicine from entering Gaza. Our goal is to mobilize 1 million calls to the White House this September to make this impossible to ignore.

By joining the “Change With Your Hand” initiative, your students will be part of a powerful national effort!

We would love to partner with your school in this noble effort. Please let us know if we may schedule a time to present the campaign, provide resources for your students, and discuss next steps.

Please respond by letting me know if your school would like to participate! Together, we can help correct this wrong with our hands, uplift our students, and help bring relief to Gaza.