Türkiye Earthquake - Food Kitchen in Kahramanmaras

My name is Hilal, and my family is from Cappadocia, in central Türkiye. I live in Montclair, New Jersey, but Türkiye has always been my home. I am fortunate to have the ability to travel there often, and I have witnessed firsthand the beauty and resilience of my country and its people. But now, we face a crisis like no other. On February 6th, 2023, a massive earthquake hit Türkiye, Syria, and Lebanon with a magnitude of 7.8. Since then, several other aftershocks of high magnitudes in the 5s and 6s have struck the same region. Dozens of cities have been affected, thousands of buildings have been damaged or collapsed completely, and the death toll has surpassed 47,000 and is still rising. Families have lost their businesses and homes. Many families have not yet been found from under the rubble. I am incredibly fortunate that my family is safe, but I cannot stand idly by while my beloved home country suffers, which is why I am creating this GoFundMe campaign.

Among other relief projects, the Nef Foundation has constructed a fully functional field kitchen in Kahramanmaras, Türkiye, the province hit by the hardest magnitudes. My friend and I are sending 100% of the funds raised through this campaign for food and supplies for the food kitchen, which has already been providing food to hundreds in the area. Your donation will be used to purchase perishable and non-perishable food for those who need it most. Every dollar counts, and even a small donation can make a big difference in the lives of those affected by this earthquake. A few dollars could mean a whole meal. A $20 donation could feed an entire family. A $100 donation could feed a family for a week.

My family also pledged to match the total donation amount. So every $50 you donate will be $100 sent to buy food for the affected.

The Nef Foundation is an organization based in Hatay, Türkiye. Kerim Guc, General Manager at Nef and one of the main contributors and organizers of the Nef Foundation, is a dear and trusted family friend and has been spreading the word about the relief efforts that the entire Nef Foundation team of over three thousand volunteers has done in Hatay, one of the provinces hit hardest by the earthquakes. Nef has mainly been transporting supplies, which they have distributed to thousands of people since the first earthquakes on February 6th. They are also working with the Turkish Philanthropy Fund to plan and provide relief.

Please help provide food to those who have been affected by this tragedy, and please share this link so that others can donate too. Your generosity means the world to me and the people of Türkiye.

Organized by Hilal Tokat, Akif Tokat, and Matt Bonarti