Turkish Earthquake Fundraiser: Direct to Families

Cut to the Chase:

All of this money will be used by my girlfriend, Burçin, to provide aid to her family and friends in Turkey who have been affected by the earthquake. No money will be wasted in this process and will be sent directly to those in need. I will do my best to provide a report of where and how the money helped and use my best judgment on how to have the greatest impact on those struggling.

Burçin's immediate family is safe and relatively unimpacted. The city she lived in while growing up was devasted by the earthquakes and many of her family and friends are in need.

The Story:

In the last year, I have learned more about my privilege than I could have ever imagined. Falling in love with a Turkish girl has been the most wonderful and enlightening thing I could ever imagine. I have grown to know the kindness and friendliness of the Turkish people. Always ready to welcome you into the group, sharing every last drop of happiness they have with you. They are endlessly generous and have an unmatched sense of community. They will always do their best to help you in your time of need. I may be biased, maybe I am just in love, but what I do know is their community is in need and I want to try to help.

In this last week I have watched Buçin take call after call with family and friends who have been impacted. The calls are full of tears, mixed with a strong sense of helplessness. Most of the Turkish in the community are unable to go home and visit their family due to immigration restrictions. They are separated from the people they love and want to help this most. It is hard for me to imagine my friends and family going through something and me being unable to fly to them to help. They have had to give up the international education credentials that they have worked so hard for, but just because they chased a better life in the U.S. are unable to have the careers that their educations warrant. Plain and simple, money is harder to come by for an immigrant from a country like Turkey. Something I truly never grasped until this year. I know that Burçin is emptying her bank account for her friends and family, and if she could fly there and help dig out her country she would do so immediately.

My humble ask to you is to help as little or as much as you can. The USD exchange rate to Turkish Lira is phenomenal right now. Any donation you make will have an instant impact on someone's life in need. If that is not enough, know that you will be giving Burçin a chance at feeling like she can do something to help the people she cares so much about.

Thank you, thank you, thank you.

Ben