Iskenderun-Turkey Relief Fund

Many of you that know us heard us bragging about our vacations to Turkey, my husband Jeff's hometown, Iskenderun, the amazing food, landscape, culture and family...oh, family...so warm and welcoming. Iskenderun is in the epicenter of the earthquake and has been decimated, at least 80% of the town has been reduced to ruins. Two days ago one of the family members from Turkey writes: “I hear my uncle and his wife's voices under the concrete and I'm not strong enough to lift the blocks. Help is not here yet and I feel so helpless!!”. Now we heard that the uncle passed and they could only save the wife. This is happening all over the region and it is a race against time to save those that are still buried under the rubble.

Our immediate family is safe and well! Two of our nephews (Trumbull residents) went home to visit and are there now. They are very fortunate to have survived and been there with their mother, fathers, brothers, and grandparents to help in such devastating moments. They are the ones that keep us updated on the horrific events from Iskenderun. The desperation and devastation that these people are going through are unimaginable.

Those that miraculously escaped the falling buildings, now have the enormous task of surviving. Supplies are crucial right now. This is why we are trying to raise funds to send whatever assistance we can to those that need it now. The helpless feeling we have at not being able to help pales in comparison to how our family must feel in Turkey being surrounded by devastation and tragedy. While our family is alright, we would like to extend help to as many families affected by the earthquakes as we possibly can.

Please help us to help those that are living this waking nightmare that we cannot even imagine from the safety of our warm homes, with our beautiful schools, hospitals and town still intact. Imagine if that was all gone tomorrow? We cannot. We hope that you will join us in providing whatever aid we can to help the survivors begin to move on through the next days, weeks, and months of rebuilding their lives.

Our plan for the funds is : the first part of the funds is to be given to Help Turkey, an organization that will provide much-needed aid for those affected by the earthquake. We heard from our family in Turkey that they are there, in Iskenderun, and actively providing the survivors with food, shelter, and medical supplies. While this campaign will be circulating and trying to reach as many of you as possible, we will be looking into additional channels for the funds to be given and help people all over the affected region. Updates will be posted.

Thank you for listening to this story, for your consideration, and most importantly for your donation. We have been overwhelmed by the outreach and the kindness that so many of you showed knowing our family is from Turkey. We feel blessed to be part of such a caring community.

Sincerely,

The Keskin Family ( Jeff, Lumi, David & Sara )

Fairfield, CT

Sara & David Visiting Iskenderun 2022

Iskenderun- Before/After

Iskenderun Before/After