CEDARBURG, Wis. — Two weeks ago, Heather Berken packed large duffle bags of medical supplies, bulletproof vests and traveled to Israel to help. Now back home, she is reflecting on her trip.
Berken has dozens of chickens and dogs at her Cedarburg, Wis., home. She said checking in with them after being gone for two weeks has been a relief.
Yet, Berken is reminded of how different her life is here in Wisconsin than it was during her time in Israel.
“It wasn’t exactly how I expected the trip to go, but it was still meaningful,” Berken said.
The first week there, Berken connected with other medical professionals who flew in to help. She said this allowed her to put her 22 years of nursing skills to use.
Berken’s second week was spent much differently. She did a host of volunteer work: Caring for animals, working with children and helping on a farm.
“It’s very easy to find different volunteer opportunities,” she said. “I helped at an animal sanctuary one day. I helped the other days more agricultural, where people lost a lot of international workers who left during the war.”
Berken said she was happy to step in and help in any way she could.
She said the feeling of war was very present during her time in Israel. Sirens and alerts went off every day. However, Berken said many people were trying to live as normal of a life as possible.
Berken will return to her regular job at the Milwaukee VA, but she said a piece of her heart remains in Israel.
“It felt really important to be there,” Berken said. “I do want to go back and find ways to continue to be helpful and contribute in a positive way.”
She said the trip impacted her deeply, and she is holding the people of Israel close to her heart.
