A devastating earthquake hit Turkey and neighboring Syria on February 6, decimating buildings and killing more than 20,000 people. When Naperville resident Feyza Gonzalez heard the news, her thoughts immediately turned to her relatives, who live in Turkey.
“The majority of my family lives in Istanbul, which has not been impacted,” said Gonzalez. “I have one aunt who lives in Gaziantep, and she and her husband are actually aid workers there. They are okay, and nothing happened to them, but they have been living out of their car ever since it happened because they need their apartment building to be deemed safe.”
Gonzalez herself is Turkish-American, having grown up in Rochester, New York. Though far away from the destruction, she knew she needed to do something to help.
Donations for TACA
Gonzalez is collecting donations for the Turkish American Cultural Alliance (TACA) in collaboration with the Turkish consulate in Chicago. The goods will be transported to the earthquake zone with an organization connected to the Turkish Embassy.
“(TACA) already has a ton of donations all boxed up, ready to go,” said Gonzalez. “Turkish Airlines will be flying all the donations to Turkey for free, which is amazing.”
Gonzalez and TACA are asking for new or gently worn versions of the following items:
- Baby food, diapers, and wipes
- Coats, boots, raincoats, pullovers
- Gloves, scarfs, hats
- New socks, underwear
- Blankets, sleeping bags, thermos
- Flashlights
Support for Turkey
Gonzalez is happy to see the outpouring of support for the people of Turkey and donations from those in her community.
“There’s definitely been people dropping off, which is really nice,” said Gonzalez. “A lot of moms reached out and said they will, so hopefully the donations will be coming in more. However, Turkey has received thousands and thousands of dollars worth of donations.”
Gonzalez plans to bring the donations she’s collected to TACA in Chicago on Sunday. For more information about how to help, visit the TACA Chicago website, or call the organization at (773) 530-1388.
“It’s just so devastating,” said Gonzalez. “It does warm my heart that people are so caring and so concerned and want to help.
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