The Turkish and Syrian diasporas in the U.S. are spearheading much of the challenging effort to get critical supplies to loved ones back home.
For those in the Turkish and Syrian diaspora, the quest to help is filled with anguish.
All those sweaters, socks and bottles of baby formula can be traced back to the many donation drives like the one organized by Murat Tas and Esra Colvard of the Turkish American Association of San Antonio, one of many that serves thousands of Turkish Americans across Texas. They thought it would be a small event, but after word got out, the pair had to scramble to find an 18-wheeler big enough to haul all the boxes to the Turkish consulate in Houston.
Organizers were expecting to stay there through the evening, collecting the things they hope will ease the suffering of families who lost everything.“I know it's not enough,” said Esra Guler, 40, looking around."But we are still trying." He said he is sending a portion of his sales from his Turkish restaurant in Plano directly to a local official he trusts to ensure it gets to those who need it most.“The [government] is doing the best they can, but they are also slowing it down,” he said.Back in California, the team at Bakkal is acutely aware of the long road that lies ahead. Some of the company’s workers are still praying they hear back from relatives who live in the earthquake zone.
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