From Andrew Vitelli, a contributor and former editor at Inside Press:
“Hey friends, readers, and neighbors – as you’ve all seen on the news, a pair of devastating earthquakes hit Turkey and Syria early Monday morning, killing at least 20,000 and leaving millions homeless. Many of the earthquake’s survivors are in desperate need of supplies and emergency assistance.
“This tragedy hit close to home for Westchester’s Turkish community, and a group of Turkish mothers in Westchester is raising money and collecting supplies to help residents of southeast Turkey. My wife, Zeynep, is one of the mothers helping to advance these initiatives. Zeynep grew up in Turkey; in 1999, when she was 11 years old, a similarly devastating earthquake destroyed her village and her apartment. While she was able to move in with her grandparents in a nearby village, many of her friends and neighbors spent months living in tent cities. Thankfully, her family in Turkey is far from where the recent earthquake hit.
“With temperatures in Turkey below freezing, it is crucial that residents of the affected region are able to get the help they need as soon as possible. If any Inside Press readers wish to help this group of mothers and support those affected by the earthquake, please consider donating to the drive at the link below. All donations will go to Bridge to Turkiye earthquake relief fund. Thank you for any support you are able to give!”