When everything is lost, your love remains.
On February 6, 2023, several massive earthquakes devastated communities in Türkiye. Over 50,000 men, women and children were lost in an instant. Families lost everything and rebuilding has been difficult.
But your love was there.
YOU FED THE HUNGRY.
When Sunay Terzi lost everything in the earthquake, your love provided food and hygiene packages.
Sunay Terzi lives with her extended family of more than 15 people. In the days following the disaster, she lived in a car, with no access to food or water. She lost her job at a local cafe because of the earthquake and hopes to find a new job once businesses begin to reopen, but the timeline is uncertain.
Because of you, Sunay and her family received food and hygiene packages. Upon receiving the kits, she said, “We did not receive answers, there were many places we applied to, but there was no answer. It's nice that you're even here with us. We feel that we are not alone. So, I am happy … God bless everyone who sent help. We are truly grateful to them.”
YOU BROUGHT WARMTH TO THE COLD.
Quilts and kits have helped keep Leyla Güleryüz and her family warm during the bitterly cold nights.
Leyla Güleryüz has been living in a tent with eight other people since the earthquake obliterated her family’s home. The cold is numbing but the tent's flammable nylon material makes fires for warmth too dangerous.
Leyla and her family received LWR Quilts, Personal Care Kits and Baby Care Kits. They said the quilts are especially useful because “it gets very bitterly cold at night.” The baby kits will be used for Leyla’s nephew.
“It made us feel very special,” Leyla said. “Because it is very difficult to reach. We don't have electricity most of the time. With these things, it will allow us to warm up in a better way. Thank you for everything.”
YOU HOUSED THE HOMELESS.
Little Asya was just over one year old when the earthquake rocked Türkiye. In an instant, her home was destroyed. For months afterward, Asya — along with her parents and 5-year-old brother İsa — lived in a sweltering tent and drank water that made them sick. They barely slept.
Because of your enduring love, Asya and her family now have a safe place to call home and begin rebuilding their lives. Asya is “delighted” with her new house, a prefabricated container home which includes two rooms, a bathroom with a flushing toilet and a kitchen.
“Thank you, thousands of times, for supporting us,” her father Erkan said. “Thank you so much for coming this far.”
YOU BROUGHT HOPE TO THE HOPELESS.
Dilan Cabiroğcu, 17, has found hope and opportunity after loss because of you.
After losing everything, 17-year-old Dilan Cabiroğcu was thankful to move into a new container home with her family, built with your support.
But the aftermath of the earthquake lingered. The family struggled financially, and after months inside, separated from friends, Dilan became bored and restless.
But Dilan’s outlook completely transformed when she found a kid-friendly center supported by your generosity, offering games, sports, activities, classes, and counseling. She’s processing her trauma and, inspired by the center’s opportunities, is now dreaming of becoming a nurse.
“If it wasn’t for this place,” she said, “I’d still be stuck in the shock of the earthquake. But here, I learn new things, meet new people, and feel more energetic. My day is so much better.”
YOU COMFORTED THE HURTING.
In a single night, Çağla Sağlam lost her husband, her mother and her pregnant sister.
For the first three days after the earthquake, Çağla and her children stayed inside of a container truck with 20 other people, no food, no clean clothes, no formula for her then 11-month-old daughter. They sheltered in tents, but there was still no relief.
“Our life was turned upside down,” she said. “It was hot inside the tent, we could not take a bath, the tap water did not flow. We couldn’t eat at all. There was filth everywhere.”
In her time of the greatest despair, your love arrived. ̧Cağla and her children ̧now live in a container home, made possible by caring people like you. She has a kitchen, bath, a flushing toilet and air conditioning for the hot summers.
“Thank you very much for making my children happy,” she says. “God bless you.”
Listen to Çağla's story in her own words.
When others leave, your love remains. Two years after the devastating earthquake, you are still healing broken hearts.
Thank you for loving your neighbors...until your love reaches every one.
