SEATTLE — Yalla Seattle is a walk-up window owned by Taylor Cheney that serves Middle Eastern food in the Capitol Hill neighborhood.
On Thursday, Oct. 12, Cheney planned to make more traditional Palestinian desserts to sell, with 100% of the money going to the Palestine Children's Relief Fund (PCRF) to provide medical relief to children in Gaza.. However, after hearing an outpouring of community support, she expanded to not only dessert sales but all food sales for the nonprofit. PCRF is rated four out of four stars by Charity Navigator.
Originally, she hoped to raise $2,000 in donations during the fundraiser. She ended up raising $2,398.50, surpassing her goal.
On Sunday, the restaurant donated 50% of its sales to the fund. Cheney says they gave $1,000 to the charity, a major amount of money for a small business. Then, on Tuesday, Yalla held a fundraiser selling atayefs, raising nearly $200 for relief. Atayefs are Middle Eastern semolina pancakes filled with cheese or nuts, then soaked in syrup.
Cheney started her culinary career in fine dining but after being challenged to cook different dishes by her neighbors from the Middle East, she opened her own pop-up for eight years. Today, she is learning from a Palestinian chef to improve her craft.
She says her fundraising work is emblematic of the original intentions of Yalla in the first place. "Yalla" roughly translates to "let's go" in Arabic, she was touched by the hospitality of Middle Eastern culture during her two visits to Palestine, five to Lebanon, four to Jordan and while living in Egypt.
When asked why she chose to sell food as a way to help Palestinian children, she said, "food is my love language and that's the only thing I know what to do," she says, "I just go home, I'm upset. I read the news and cry. I feel like I can't do anything, but I know I can do something here."
On Saturday, Hamas militants launched a surprise attack on Israel, killing more than 1,200, according to the Israeli military, and abducting an estimated 150 people.
According to the United Nations, at least 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced trying to avoid the Israeli airstrikes in retaliation to Hamas attacks over the weekend. Furthermore, Palestinian authorities say Israeli retaliatory strikes in Gaza have killed at least 1,100 Palestinians and injured thousands more, 326 of those killed have been children. These counts could be higher or lower due to the estimates being made.
Hamas has ruled Gaza since 2007.
"Hospitals are getting bombed, schools are getting bombed," she said.
Cheney also voices her concern at the Israeli government's complete siege of Gaza, which has turned into a humanitarian crisis for civilians.
"They're completely blockaded on each side...what kind of life is that?", she continued, saying that her friend's family's house has been leveled.
"They didn't do anything to deserve that. There are no resources to rebuild. If you go to Israel and you go to Palestine, you will see how completely different they live. "
Yalla Seattle is open from noon to midnight Mondays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. They are open Tuesdays from noon to 8:30 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 10 p.m.